Preservation Hall to quadruple its French Quarter footprint

What's happening: Preservation Hall is working to renovate 730 St. Peter St., an 8,000-square-foot former theater.

• The renovation will bring the building back into commerce for the first time in half a century, says Preservation Hall creative director Ben Jaffe.
• Once complete, the space will serve as a flagship for the Preservation Hall Foundation, with classrooms, artist housing, additional performance space and gallery space to showcase the Hall's archives.
• The hall will offer grants to artists so they can travel to New Orleans and "immerse themselves in the New Orleans music vernacular," Jaffe tells Axios. The residencies will be styled off similar programs Preservation Hall artists have experienced.

What he's saying: The gallery, Jaffe says, will be "like Preservation Hall: A living, breathing organism where it's not just about the past. It's a living present."

Zoom out: Plans submitted to the city also indicate a restaurant will operate from the building separately from the foundation.

• The historic renovation is estimated to cost about $4.8 million, according to the plans.
• Some city support is expected in the form of Wisner Trust funds, Jaffe says.

What's next: Opening will happen in phases, Jaffe says, but he expects the expansion to be fully operational in 18 months to 2 years.