The Espy Confirms Renovation Plans, Will Keep Live Music 'Central' (UPDATED)

St Kilda live-music icon The Esplanade Hotel will close its doors "in a couple of weeks" to undergo significant, long-overdue restorative works, it has been confirmed.

Following the emergence of rumours that the Espy was facing more than a temporary closure, City Of Port Phillip Deputy Mayor Serge Thomann took to Facebook this morning in order to quell what appears to have been a rising tide of concern from his constituents over the venue's ultimate fate.

"As I have been asked several times, and as people are concerned, yes, the Espy is closing but only for renovations in a couple of weeks," Thomann explained on his Wall.

"When it'll reopen, it will still be a place with lots of music and bands but also more food offering."

After a commenter questioned Thomann's assertion, citing a Triple M segment in which Mick Molloy had suggested that the venue would be closing for good, the Deputy Mayor responded: "It will reopen… I have spoken with the owners."

Explaining the main impetus for the renovation, Thomann said, "The Espy is in desperate need of a bit of a face lift. The main issue is that the whole place has strict heritage protections, outside but also inside.

"Council will help the Espy going through this process so it can reopen as soon as possible. It is a major refurbishment and it will take a few months. But we will have a beautiful new Espy at the end… Good luck boys..."

The news of the impending temporary closure does not come as entirely surprising — the venue, which is renowned for its claim of being the country's longest-running home of live music, was put up for sale in early 2014.

There has been no word on the closure from the venue yet — there are regular shows booked through to the end of the month, with singular bookings for June and August so far — and theMusic.com.au did reach out to owners but were unable to obtain comment prior to publication. 

UPDATE: The Esplanade Hotel has released a statement regarding its impending renovations, confirming Thomann's statement this morning and elaborating on its plans, which include upgrading stalwart space the Gershwin Room with revamped sound and lighting for "live music [to be] maintained as a central part of the culture and identity of the venue", as well as the introduction of new food and beverage spaces. 

Read the full statement below.

"After 15 years at The Esplanade Hotel we are excited to announce that extensive renovations are about to begin, including the opening of new and exciting spaces, some of which have never before been open to the public.

Out of respect for our colourful history and long standing tradition of live music, we are upgrading our world famous “Gershwin Room”, the home of Rockwiz, with sound and lighting upgrades whilst preserving the charm of the much loved room. Improvements will strengthen and sustain our commitment to the music industry, with live music being maintained as a central part of the culture and identity of the venue.

The renovations will also include the introduction of new food and beverage spaces. These spaces will offer Melbournians a diverse dining experience that will cater to the fully-fledged foodies, and offer something new that the whole St Kilda community can enjoy.

Once our renovations are complete, The Espy will have opportunities to view the stunning bay and sunset views from this prime location overlooking the foreshore. We plan to revitalise this beloved local into the place to be.

As we transition and breathe new life back into this iconic music venue we unfortunately will shut The Espy on Sunday 17 May 2015 in order to fast track the work and to open in time for summer 2015.

We hope you can be patient with us – we will keep you updated along the way as we share our progress, news and announcements.

We will be back shortly even bigger, even better. We thank you for your continued support."

And Thomann's earlier statement: