Fall 2006 Downtown Arlington Management Corp. hosts Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch
and Glen Williams from the Mortimer Levitt Foundation to explore the
possibility of bringing a Levitt Pavilion to Arlington.
February 2007 The Mortimer Levitt Foundation commits $250,000 to opening a
Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in Arlington. The pavilion is the
only Levitt Pavilion in Texas and the first one to be completely built
instead of renovating an existing band shell or amphitheater.
Arlington City Council takes action on the land that will house
Founders Plaza and the Levitt Pavilion.
February-May Key community organizations and civic leaders meet to discuss
forming an organization to raise the funds to make the Levitt Pavilion
a reality.
May 2007 Architectural firm Gideon Toal is engaged by the City of Arlington to
develop the design for Founders Plaza and the Levitt Pavilion.
June 2007 Volunteers are recruited to form Friends of the Levitt Pavilion
Arlington. Articles of incorporation are filed. Kristin Vandergriff is
elected chair, and Cliff Mycoskie is elected Vice Chair and Chair of
the Capital Campaign to raise the needed funds to build the pavilion.
July 2007 Mayor Robert Cluck and City Council members Kathryn Wilemon and
Lana Wolff visit Pasadena, Calif., to see their Levitt Pavilion.
August-September Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington create a business plan and
begin fund raising.
September Demolition and site preparation begins for Founders Plaza.
Park and pavilion designs are presented to City Council.
October 2007 Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington receive state 501(c)(3)
designation.
December 2007 $750,000 raised towards the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington
goal of $1.2 million.
January 2008 The Arlington Tomorrow Foundation awards the Friends of the Levitt
Pavilion Arlington a $100,000 grant.
February 2008 $1.1 million raised.
The Levitt Pavilion Arlington is named a finalist in the Best
Community Impact category at the Dallas Business Journal’s 16th
annual Best Real Estate Deals of the Year gala.
March 7, 2008 Ground-breaking ceremony for Founders Plaza and the Levitt Pavilion.
Construction begins.
March 28, 2008 Patti Diou named Executive Director of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington.
April 2008 The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Arlington Youth Foundation’s
$85,000 gift puts Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington over the top
of their capital campaign goal.
May 22, 2008 Gene and Jerry Jones along with their daughter, Charlotte, present
the Friends of the Levitt Pavilion Arlington with the first check given
from their family foundation.
Oct. 10, 2008 Opening night of the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts in
Arlington with more than 1,800 people in attendance to see Brave Combo.
Oct. 25, 2008 A record crowd of more than 2,200 come to downtown Arlington to see
Celtic rock group, The Killdares.
Oct. 31, 2008 2008 Premiere Season ends with more than 15,500 in attendance for the
first 16 concerts.
May 29, 2009 First benefit concert, An Evening with B.J. Thomas &
the Levitt Pops Orchestra.
May 30, 2009 Summer Concert Series opening night, kicking off first full year of 50 free
concerts. Artist: Melissa Lawson, Arlington winner of season six of NBC’s
Nashville Star., with record attendance at 2,600
Summer 2009 Levitt Pavilion and Founders Plaza were chosen as the 2009 Public Works
Project of the Year in the $2 to $10 Million category by the Texas Public
Works Association.
July 3, 2009 The first Summer Concert Series concludes with more than 36,000
people attending.
August 2009 The seating area is named the Brock-Saxe Great Lawn in recognition of
a generous gift made by Dr. Allan Saxe.
Sept. 24, 2009 The Levitt Pavilion opens its second Fall Concert Series and marks its first
year of free music under the stars.
Sept. 26, 2009 New attendance record set with 3,000 people to see Texas legend
Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Oct. 25, 2009 The Levitt's first full year of concerts concludes with more than 48,000
in attendance.