An Exercise in Possibility: Crown Point Venues Stretches the Boundaries with New Event Complex
By Jesse Locks
Every Saturday afternoon for the last two years, InConcert Sierra staff and volunteers have guided over a thousand people through a thrilling exercise in possibility; daring visitors to dream up a state-of-the-art event complex and acoustic music hall that would solidify Nevada County’s reputation as a premier destination for arts, culture and classical music.
Located at Whispering Pines Business Park in Grass Valley, Crown Point Venues is an ambitious architectural undertaking by InConcert Sierra, a classical music presenting organization that has been rooted in the community since 1946, originally as the Twin Cities Concert Association.
Once the site of the former tech company Grass Valley, InConcert Sierra purchased the building in March, 2023. Within 36 hours, a massive snowstorm hit the area causing 14,000 sq. ft. of the building’s roof to collapse, and forcing the organization to forge ahead with all of its renovations at once.
The 42,000 sq. ft. building features a 500+-seat acoustic concert hall, a 180-seat black box theater, and 400+ person conference center, along with ample and accessible parking, a scene shop, meeting rooms, rehearsal space, office space, and an indoor and outdoor café area.
“When people walk through on a tour they are blown away by the scale of the project,” explains Julie Hardin, InConcert Sierra’s Executive Director. “It’s like a jolt of creativity. It gets them thinking about all of the possibilities.”
Throughout the organization’s history, InConcert Sierra has consistently offered a robust calendar of world class performances with classical music superstars, high-caliber solo artists, and chamber ensembles at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Grass Valley. This in addition to music education programs that are mostly free of charge for the community and that reach music lovers of all-ages and backgrounds.
And while the Seventh-day Adventist Church has provided a welcoming and comfortable setting and amazing acoustics for both audience and artists, its limited schedule has challenged InConcert Sierra’s ability to expand its education and concert programs to meet the needs of patrons.
“The need for chamber music is real and it’s not just a local need, it’s a regional need,” says Ken Hardin, Artistic Director. “This space will stretch the boundaries of classical music, acoustic music, theater, and so much more.”
Crown Point Venues has garnered national attention, including from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York, which established a collaboration with InConcert Sierra with the primary purpose of ensuring the future of classical chamber music, particularly in rural communities.
Closer to home, Crown Point Venues will also fill another critical need in the community: dedicated conference space. The venue will both cater to local needs and attract larger clients from further afield, which will assist in developing Western Nevada County as a destination for conferences.
“After an extensive gap analysis, we found the greatest need was a dedicated black box space, along with conference space for the business community and galas for the area’s larger non-profits,” says Hardin.
With a giant footprint (4400 sq. ft.), capacity for 300 banquet seating and 400+ assembly seating, along with state-of-the-art A/V and tech, a portable stage, additional meeting spaces for breakout rooms, and a large kitchen, the conference center area of the complex has been designed to meet the needs of corporate retreats, civic meetings, business summits, or whatever renters conjure up.
Julie Hardin says they are already booking dates for community events when the venue is projected to open in summer 2025.
“We know the importance of having a thriving arts community, which is why our business model relies on rentals versus concerts,” explains Hardin. “And so far, the response has been very positive. People are excited by the uniqueness of our project and its potential as a game-changer for the community.”
To date, InConcert Sierra has raised $13.6 million—including a $3 million specified grant from the state of California—of the $18 million needed to complete the project. Interested donors can still show their support by making a donation, including naming a seat in the concert hall or other space in the building.
For more information or to sign up for a tour, visit crownpointvenues.com.