Palace Sports and Entertainment and Hillside Productions have entered into a cooperative agreement to run the 7,000-seat Jerome-Duncan Ford Theatre at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights, Mich.
PS&E and Hillside will be jointly responsible for all event bookings, marketing, group sales, sponsorships and public relations for the amphitheater.
The venue comprises a covered pavilion with 4,200 fixed seats and lawn seating for about 3,000.
Since 2000, the Jerome-Duncan Ford Theatre has seen more than $20 million in venue enhancements. Additionally, a new roof for the pavilion and a sound-absorbing containment wall are being added this year.
PS&E and Hillside plan to increase the variety of entertainment at the venue, targeting 30-40 shows for 2005.
Hillside is owned by developer Gary Roncelli and restaurateur Joe Vicari. PS&E ownership includes the Palace at Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre in the Detroit market. The organization also manages Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland (Calif.) University.
Combined, PS&E’s Michigan venues average 300 events and 3.5 million guests annually.
