The front of Roswell Masonic Hall framed by trees and flowers under a blue sky. — Roswell Masonic Hall could become a live music and performing arts venue if city negotiations move forward.

Roswell City Council has authorized negotiations that could turn the city-owned Masonic Lodge into a live music and performing arts venue.

Council voted 5–0 on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to allow the Roswell Development Authority to review and negotiate terms for redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the property at 1054 Alpharetta Street, according to the city’s meeting recap.

The city owns the Lodge and the adjoining parcel to the south. The recap did not identify a prospective operator, project budget or opening date.

The proposal follows an earlier plan to preserve the building as an open-air pavilion.

In an August 2024 announcement, the city said Council had unanimously approved preserving the Lodge and converting it into a pavilion within a planned pedestrian plaza.

That followed an earlier decision allowing the building’s removal as part of a parking deck and related improvements. Residents urged the city to preserve it, prompting officials to consider alternatives.

A July 2024 staff estimate put the cost of stabilizing the structure and converting it into a pavilion at approximately $3.53 million. Funding had not been determined when the city announced that plan. That estimate covered the pavilion proposal, rather than the performing-arts use now under consideration.

The site is connected to Roswell’s broader downtown parking and pedestrian improvements, including the Green Street corridor and connections toward Canton Street.

Tuesday’s recap did not explain how a music venue would fit with the earlier pavilion concept or which preservation features it would retain. Financing, operating terms and the relationship between the two proposals remain unresolved in the city’s announcement.

The vote authorizes negotiations; it does not establish a finalized venue agreement or a construction timetable.