When we last checked in with historic Kenyon Hall‘s management about the KH renovations, there was hope of reopening in time for holiday shows, if not sooner. That’s not going to happen – like so many projects of all types, it’s taking longer than expected, and it’s grown – but an email update today says they hope to reopen the venue at 7904 35th SW “early” next year. From the update:

… We are excited to announce that we have obtained the final permits to move ahead with the improvements and look forward to inviting artists and audiences back to Kenyon Hall in early 2026!

Anyone who has renovated an older structure knows how quickly projects can evolve, and how complex the interplay of permitting and redesign can become. What was planned as a twelve-week refresh grew into an opportunity to revisit how we could apply the generous grants from the community to make game-changing improvements to the 108-year old building. Here are some of the updates you’ll notice when the Hall reopens:

-New exterior siding
-Brand new, ADA compliant bathrooms
-Completely upgraded electrical systems
-Refinished hardwood flooring
-Redesigned artist loft
-Improved front entry
-New AV/mixing suite
-Comprehensive, pipe-by-pipe cleaning of our Mighty Wurlitzer. Our long-time Wurlitzer technician also seized this opportunity to mentor a new technician, in the hopes of keeping this amazing instrument sounding great for future generations.

We want to thank Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections for helping us navigate the permitting process and our amazing contractor team at AVA Design Build for guiding us in our decisions.

As we approach reopening, we look forward to working with you to make sure we are meeting the evolving needs of our diverse community and fulfilling our mission to engage the artist in anyone and inspire the arts in everyone. It is a unique responsibility to take care of such a beloved space–one of the few in the area that regularly offers affordable options to audiences. We hope you’ll engage with us to guide our programming, whether you’re interested in performance, education, or other community functions. …

The email update was signed by Mark Desierto, board president of Seattle Artists, the nonprofit that owns and operates Kenyon Hall. We published an in-depth preview of the renovation plan back in May.