Take a Tour of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Future Jazz Club

The historic YMCA building in downtown Portsmouth is being transformed into a jazz and blues club this summer.

For people who can't satisfy their curiosity about what's happening inside through peeking through the windows or following the construction on Facebook, Seacoast Current took a tour of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club to get readers a sneak peek at what's to come.

When people enter the club, they can visit the Museum of New Art. Workers are setting up that area now as well as the direct entrance to the performance area.

Spokesperson Suzanne Bresette said all of the people who are working on the project are artisans.

The performance space is large and airy. People can sit in multiple different locations and enjoy a great view.

The windows still have the old YMCA logo. Bresette said almost all of the pieces of glass in the windows were restored and there were just a few spots where panes needed to be replaced.

There is a glassed-in space just outside the performance area where people can relax and still enjoy the music.

This is the view of the city from there.

Here are two photos taken from the areas where people can look out over the crowd. All of the railings are designed so people's drinks can't spill over and into the audience.

Bresette acknowledges that the building does have some spirits, but said she has learned over time that they are all happy ghosts.

People can feel the spirits, especially where some beams are exposed. They withstood a devastating fire in the 1920s, Bresette said.

This is the coat check area, where the details of the project begin to stick out with repurposed beams.

Many of the materials used are repurposed, and the new additions add an artistic flair to the future club.

This is the wallpaper in the green room bathroom where musicians will relax before a show.

It can be seen from the entrance.

This is a photo of a wall in one of the women's bathrooms. Bresette said the contrast is purposeful.

Ben Auger and his company are working on the project and the pressure is on because the club is expected to open Sept. 30.

"It's very intense, high pressure, but it's also incredibly rewarding because so much happens every day and we're at the point where, as you can see, we're putting on the stuff you can see. For massive amounts of time, all the stuff we were doing was stuff that was going to be covered up in walls or ceilings and stuff. Now, the things we are doing you can actually see," Auger said.

Doors, windows, stairs and railings are being installed this month, he said.

Jimmy's is offering annual memberships. Tickets for the general public went on sale Monday.

For more information, click here.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.