New downtown ballroom opens, Airport restaurant readies for flight

Aaron Rittscher of Zeak Technique spot welds a chandelier that is being installed in the Ocala Ballroom which is being remodeled on the ground floor of the Sovereign Building on North Magnolia Avenue in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

Aaron Rittscher of Zeak Technique spot welds a chandelier that is being installed in the Ocala Ballroom which is being remodeled on the ground floor of the Sovereign Building on North Magnolia Avenue in Ocala. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]

The Ocala Ballroom recently opened in the historic Sovereign Building.

The venue was remodeled and occupies part of the first floor of what was once the Hotel Marion. While the remodel updated the space, it also held on to some of the original features dating back to 1927.

While originally a hotel, the building currently houses offices. The ballroom will be available for weddings, parties, meetings and other events.

Airport restaurant

The Ocala City Council approved the construction of a restaurant at the new Ocala International Airport terminal.

The council agrees to pay $427,733 for the buildout to Blackwater Construction Services.

The planned 80-seat restaurant area will take up about 3,300 square feet. Almost, 1,800 square feet is for the dining and bar area. Plans call for a separate more than 550-square-foot meeting space. The remaining space will house the kitchen area, entry and office space. The meeting space is separated by a partition wall.

Tentative plans have a Mojo’s restaurant operating the location.

The new terminal opened in February and cost $7.3 million. The 17,500-square-foot terminal at the airport on Southwest 60th Avenue is almost three times the size of the old 1960s-era original terminal building.