The Britt Music & Arts Festival is moving its operations from Medford to downtown Jacksonville after purchasing the U.S. Hotel building on the corner of North Third Street and East California Street, offering a new space not only for offices but also to include a new venue, box office, record store and more.

The move has been in Britt leadership’s plans for decades.

“Britt has had in its strategic plans for over 35 years a desire to relocate the administrative office to Jacksonville … to be in town has been a multi-decade wish,” said Abby McKee, president and CEO of the Britt Festival. “Jacksonville is the community we most closely impact as an organization.”

Britt staff are celebrating the move with a free open house scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 2, with tours through the building, raffles, a history lecture and more.

“We are also launching our brand-new logo that day and sharing the new logo and how the design process leads us to the future,” McKee said.

The raffle will include multiple unique and interesting items to bid on such as an acoustic guitar signed by former Jefferson Starship member Craig Chaquico, a four-person wine tour with EMC Black Car Service, hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards to local businesses, Britt merchandise and more.

“Raffle tickets are $10 apiece and you enter to win what you’re most interested in,” McKee said.

The open house will include tours through the building and a lecture on the history of the hotel with Historic Jacksonville President Carolyn Kingsnorth.

“It’s an opportunity for the public to see the building in its ‘before’ state and learn more about the project, and to help set the kickoff to fundraise for the building,” McKee said.

The Britt organization purchased the U.S. Hotel for $1.452 million in August 2024 from Jackson County.

Organizers aim to raise $4 million to $6 million in order to fully renovate the space, which was originally constructed in the late 1800s.

“We’re hoping to be fully operational in the building by 2027,” McKee said.

“The ground floor will have the administrative office and box office so people wandering through Jacksonville can purchase tickets,” McKee added.

The first floor will additionally have a retail store for Britt merchandise as well as a record store with vinyls to check out.

Britt staff intend to keep and maintain the U.S. Hotel’s second floor ballroom and utilize the space as a concert venue year-round in a smaller format.

“We want to preserve that community use of that space,” McKee said. “We’ll be able to have workshops and social dances with live bands in the space, and be able to offer space to the community for event rental with the ballroom.”

“The building’s history is important; the exterior will not change,” she added.

The renovation projects are being spearheaded by Arkitek, an Ashland-based design and architecture firm hired by Britt.

Additionally, the staff aim to utilize funding to convert part of the second floor and attic into an education center.

Other projects the Britt staff intend to complete in the new headquarters are seismic retrofitting of the building and making sure it is accessible to individuals with disabilities.

A key aspect considered by Britt staff during the move was to strengthen and increase foot traffic and visitors to Jacksonville, maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the city and its businesses.

“We want to create programing that doesn’t compete with other vendors and merchants and instead drives traffic,” McKee said. “Britt is the impetus for a significant percent of lodging and restaurants and businesses.”

All in all, Britt leadership hopes the move will offer a space for future generations of artists, listeners and staff.

“I look at this body of work as setting Britt up for the next 100 years of its future. Britt will be 62 years old this summer, and I feel an immense sense of privilege when doing something that will forever change the future of our organization and Jacksonville for generations to come,” McKee said. “This building will be a cultural hub to serve the community all year round, and for me personally, that’s the most meaningful work I can imagine doing.”

For more information on the Britt Music & Arts Festival, visit brittfest.org.