JOHN KNOX VILLAGE IN POMPANO BEACH OPENS NEW CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
Marie Puleo
September 2, 2022
John Knox Village recently held a grand opening for the newest addition to its 70-acre campus – the $34 million Pavilion at Westlake. The 27,000-square-foot pavilion is home to two restaurants – Seaglass and The Pearl – as well as Barton’s Nautilus Bar and a 350-plus-seat Cultural Arts Center.
The Pavilion is part of a long-range master plan to expand and update the entire campus of John Knox Village (JKV), located at 651 SW Sixth Street in Pompano Beach.
The Cultural Arts Center in the Pavilion has a variety of concerts and entertainment lined up for its first season, which is open to non-residents of JKV.
“JKV is embarking on a new cultural series that brings local, regional and national talent to the campus of JKV for our residents as well as the greater community,” said Jody Leshinsky, JKV’s Life Enrichment Manager, who books the entertainers. “With the new Cultural Arts Center, we’re raising the bar on the caliber of talent that will be on the stages.”
A JKV Jazz Series will run from September through December. The program will feature concerts from Tito Puente Jr. and His Latin Jazz Ensemble on Sept. 23; swing jazz vocalist Ashley Pezzotti on Oct. 15; saxophonist Ed Calle and the Mamblue Big Band (Latin Jazz and Big Band) on Nov. 12; and Carole J. Bufford, singing classics from the Jazz Age (1920s) and beyond on Dec. 4.
In addition to the JKV Jazz Series, the South Florida Chamber Ensemble will perform traditional classical music and music from Broadway shows on Nov. 7, and the Fushu Daiko ensemble will perform Japanese taiko drumming on Nov. 9.
All performances start at 7pm, with the exception of the Carole J. Bufford concert, which starts at 2pm. A limited number of seats for all performances will be available to non-residents of JKV through the Eventbrite ticketing website.
The four concerts in the JKV Jazz Series are offered to non-residents as a subscription on Eventbrite for $81. Single tickets for any show are $26 for non-residents.
The JKV Symphony Pops Series will kick off at the Cultural Arts Center on Oct. 10 with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra and award-winning singer Anthony Nunziata performing classics of the Frank Sinatra era. In the coming months, a JKV Dance Series will make its debut. The schedule of upcoming events and ticket information will be posted on Eventbrite.
Parking for the Cultural Arts Center is located at JKV’s Center for Healthy Living parking lot at 550 SW Third Street, adjacent to the JKV property. From there, a JKV air-conditioned shuttle bus will provide transportation for the short distance to the Cultural Arts Center. For those who choose to walk from the parking lot to the Cultural Arts Center, security staff will be there to assist.
Leshinsky noted that she and her team, whenever possible, are also bringing the arts and culture to those who live in JKV’s higher care residences and can’t get to the performances at the new Cultural Arts Center.
“We’re making the arts accessible to all residents,” said Leshinsky.
John Knox Village Continues Its Transformation
In addition to the grand opening of the Pavilion, which took place in June, there was a same-day groundbreaking ceremony for the residential component of the Westlake at JKV project, which consists of 146 state-of-the-art, independent living apartments in two new towers adjacent to the Pavilion. The Vue (15 stories) and The Terrace (11 stories) will have dining and activity spaces, and a parking garage for residents. The project is expected to be completed in early 2024.
The area south of the Pavilion, where until recently the JKV main dining room stood, is being turned into a lake as part of the plan to expand JKV’s waterfront views.
The JKV master plan consists of nine phases of development. Westlake at JKV is a Phase 2 project.
Other components of the JKV master plan have already been completed. Last year, a new Welcome and Innovation Center opened, as well as a new Aquatic Complex with a resort-style pool, a four-lane lap pool, two bocce ball courts, two pickleball courts, a jacuzzi, fire pit, Stryker’s Poolside Sports Pub and the Glades Grill.
Future phases of the master plan include updated villas, the John Knox Village Professional Center, and a mixed-use building along Dixie Highway comprised of garden apartments and commercial spaces.
