After seven years of vacancy, the Grand Palace in Branson has a new owner. KSMU’s Anna Thomas has the story.
Over the years, big names like Reba McEntire, Randy Travis and even the Miss America Pageant shared the stage of the Grand Palace on the 76 strip in Branson. Since 2008 though, the 4,000 seats have been empty.
Garrett Anderson, Branson’s economic development director, says the palace’s size was an interesting paradox that caused it to shut down.
“It would be too large to be able to fill that kind of thing on a nightly basis. However, if you’re bringing in a national name act, especially nowadays as country music has evolved and become more mainstream, your 4,000 seat venues are actually on the smaller end,” Anderson said.
After the doors closed, the palace was seized by the FDIC because the bank that originally foreclosed on the property also failed.
“There were some outstanding lawsuits and some damage in the property that caused legal action and the FDIC wanted to make sure all those lawsuits were clear so they could provide a clear title,” Anderson said.
The Branson Entertainment Center, which also owns the Hollywood Wax Museum, recently paid a total of $2.7 million for the Grand Palace.
While the company isn’t commenting on the future plans for the property, its press release mentioned that extensive research and analysis is being conducted before moving forward.
The Grand Palace is comprised of 13 acres, situated between many hotels and other venues. For Anderson, this buy means a boost for the city’s Spirit of 76 plan.
“Having more energy on that site where we’ve had less energy in the last few years is definitely going to be an exciting change,” Anderson said.
Spirit of 76 is Branson’s redevelopment plan for the area, according to Anderson, and he says the resurgence of the Grand Palace fits in perfectly with that plan.