White Eagle Hall is now open for your entertainment
By Ricardo Kaulessar - I’m So Jersey City
The grand opening of White Eagle Hall on Newark Avenue in downtown Jersey City occurred on May 5. Photos by Ricardo Kaulessar.
The closing of St. Anthony’s High School in downtown Jersey City, at the end of this school year, was marked recently by a gathering of alumnus to remember the school as well as its legendary basketball team coached by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley.
Fittingly, the event was held at White Eagle Hall on Newark Avenue, where Hurley held his famously rigorous practices, but is now an entertainment venue.
The grand opening for the renovated White Eagle Hall took place on May 5.
The building, which dates to 1910, underwent a 10-year transformation, according to Ben LoPiccolo, whose development company led the project. He spoke before the ribbon cutting as he was about to lead a tour of White Eagle Hall for visitors including Mayor Steven Fulop.
“Everything was completely redone, we stripped the building down to the bone, we had to fix the infrastructure. Special work went into it,” LoPiccolo said.
The result is an 8,000 square-foot space that can fit 800 people standing, a wraparound balcony, tin and stained-glass ceiling, three separate bars, 28-foot high ceilings, and a 23-foot proscenium stage with two levels of back-stage areas. Also, WEH has its own food & bar service. and features two restaurants - Madame Claude Bis and Cellar 335 – located on the ground level of the space.
At the ribbon cutting, Fulop gave a proclamation to LoPiccolo and his wife, Olga Levina, to recognize the work that went into the restoration, and the space being opened for business.
The celebration continued into the evening with an afterparty and performances by a Ukrainian youth dance troupe and several rock bands.
Upcoming performances include the bands Buckcherry on June 6 and Frank Iero and the Patience on June 22.
For more about White Eagle Hall, visit whiteeaglehalljc.com.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at [email protected]