Austin's Headliners Club to get an $8 million facelift

The Headliners Club will begin an $8 million renovation of its downtown space after renewing its lease for 30 years.

Why it matters: The Headliners Club is working to make itself attractive to a new crop of Austinites while competing with the advent of new, trendy private clubs such as SoHo House and Other Racquet Social Club .

Catch up quick: The nearly 70-year-old private club on the 21st floor of the Procore Tower (formerly called the Chase Tower) was conceived by Charles E. Green, the longtime executive editor of the Austin American-Statesman, as a space for journalists and newsmakers to gather.

• The club previously operated in the Driskill Hotel and the Westgate Building near the Capitol before it found its current home at 221 W. Sixth Street.
• The club's Board of Trustees created the Headliners Foundation in 1983, a nonprofit that awards students scholarships and professional prizes to journalists across the state.

How it works: Headliners Club membership is by invitation only. Current Headliners Club members can nominate their friends and colleagues to become part of the club.

• Besides a place to dine, the club hosts frequent conversations and talks . Upcoming events include a conversation between a Wall Street Journal reporter and political strategist Karl Rove, a speech by Federal Reserve Governor Lorie Logan and a monthly national security briefing.

Zoom in: Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture has designed the project with White Construction as the general contractor.

• The renovation is expected to include more a la carte dining opportunities for its more than 900 members and an update to the club's popular "Press Box" bar area.
• Historical photos and newspaper clippings will be woven into the renovated rooms.

What they're saying: "This is an exciting time to honor The Headliners Club by providing wonderful facilities that are more useful today and elegant in the spirit of what we have always enjoyed," club chairman Brian Greig said. "Over the past 70 years, we've worked to keep our facilities reflective of our deep traditions as a place where people who make the headlines and write the headlines gather."

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