The largest performance hall in Lake County opened to the public this weekend.
The Clermont Performing Arts Center houses two theaters, a rehearsal space and can seat more than 1,200 people.
The city bought the building, which used to be a church, for $6.3 million. The city then spent an extra $200,000 in renovations.
"We really think this is one of the gems, not just of Lake County, but for central Florida,” said Clermont spokesperson Doris Bloodsworth.
Officials are hoping the theater not only brings in big names, but also big bucks for the city.
"Just the talent that’s coming here to perform, that amounts to 2,200 overnight stays here,” Bloodsworth said. “And of course the meals they'll eat, the gas they'll buy, the shopping they'll do. We look for Clermont to benefit greatly from the economic benefit from this.”
Employees at the Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites in Clermont say they are already seeing more business.
“It gave us about 15 to 20 additional rooms for this weekend and I think it’s going to be a really great add to Clermont,” said Annie Tollett, who works for the hotel.
Another business that's hoping to benefit from the new performing arts center is the Stormy Hill Harley-Davidson dealer. The store is one of the theater's sponsors.
"A lot of our customers that come in here are involved with the arts, and it’s nice to see something like that come into our community,” said general manager Dave Pontzius.
The new performing arts center is located on a 30-acre site on South Highway 27.
An open house with community tours is set for Sunday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.