At the time, almost all of the building doors and windows had been boarded and plastered over, making it hard to seen the potential of the structure.

Cantelme and Kuykendall approached Charlie Levy, owner of other local Phoenix venues The Crescent Ballroom and Valley Bar, about the purchase of the building and a possible partnership.

[3][7][6] The Van Buren opened in the building on August 23, 2017 (Cold War Kids was the inaugural performance).

The group had had a partial stake in the venue prior, and bought out majority owner Charlie Levy after financial struggles due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic that shutdown much of the music industry and touring.

Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra performed the night before for the venue's soft opening, acting as a stress test for employees.