Arlington Music Hall acquired by Cary Moon, developer, Fort Worth councilman

Arlington Music Hall, along with the Babe’s Chicken Dinner House building and two nearby development tracts have been acquired by Center Street Complex LLC, a group led by new Fort Worth Councilman Cary Moon.

Plans call for about $50,000 in upgrades to the 1,100-seat Music Hall, including improved concessions, and construction of a Trinity Tap House tavern, a 2,400-square-foot indoor bar and restaurant and a patio, at the southwest corner of Center and Division streets, according to Moon.

Moon’s group acquired the land from Burk Collins and Jean Collins and he praised them for the work they have done on the theater. “They’ve made sure the theater operation is well set up from an asset point of view,” he said.

Moon plans to hire a curator to operate the theater and produce a Christmas show and a kid’s show in the summer. He plans to expand the types of acts using the theater. For instance, he said, the rock group Kansas is already scheduled for late August. “In general, we plan to be a lot more active,” he said.

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Collins purchased the Music Hall from Johnnie High, who operated his Country Music Revue there for many years. High previously operated the revue in Fort Worth and Haltom City.

While that area of Arlington saw some redevelopment several years ago when Babe’s Chicken Dinner House moved in and a repurposed office/restaurant complex opened nearby with the Grease Monkey, that new development stalled out in the recession. Now the city of Arlington is tearing down its current central library and making way for a project from Catalyst Development that will include retail, restaurants, office space and apartments.

Moon, a partner in Castle Development Group and other development firms, is also working in Keller to develop several sites. Among those is Texas Blu, a steakhouse that will feature Cef Zambrano, former owner of Zambrano Wine Cellar & Bistro in Fort Worth.

Moon defeated Danny Scarth in May to become the councilman representing District 4.