Jazz is about to get bigger in downtown Phoenix.
The Nash, a jazz club on Roosevelt Row, announced a $2.5 million expansion of its facilities, including the construction of a brand new 3,200-square-foot jazz education center just next door.
Enrollment growth in the club’s education program drove the creation of The John Dawson Jazz Education Center at The Nash, the business said on its website.
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The Nash had just 12 students enroll in its summer program in 2021. That number jumped to almost 100 in 2023.
The expansion will be funded in part by $1 million donated by the John Dawson Foundation. The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust also donated $100,000 to the project and will match an additional $100,000 for any other donations given.
Renovations at The Nash will include a new stage and green room, additional seating, a full bar, new food offerings, and restrooms.
The education center will include 1,800 square feet of rehearsal space and expand The Nash’s education capacity by 50%.
The Arizona Republic reported construction on the education center will begin in May.
