Hurrah Players ready to buy Norfolk Chamber's current site

NORFOLK

The Hurrah Players, the locally based family theater company, has signed an agreement in principle to buy the historic downtown building that now houses the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce headquarters.

Jack Hornbeck, Chamber president and CEO, said there had been a lot of interest in the building and the Hurrah Players' offer "made the most sense."

Hornbeck pointed to plans for the Virginia Arts Festival headquarters to move to a city-owned parking lot by the Chamber building, a Greek Revivalist-style structure built in 1840.

Given that plan, he said, the Hurrah Players would add "to the cultural aspect of this part of Norfolk."

Officials would discuss what the theater company will pay, citing the lack of a signed contract. Both parties expect the contract to be executed this month. Hornbeck said the price, closing date and terms have been agreed to in principle.

The Chamber had been asking $1.35 million for the 8,400-square-foot, three-story building at 420 Bank St.

Since 1993, the theater company has rented space in the 900 block of Woodrow Ave. in Ghent, said Katie Stone, the company's general manager.

Hugh Copeland, the company's artistic director and founder, praised the potential new location.

"We're going to be more accessible," he said. "It will give us more presence."

The Chamber building would allow the company to double its theater seating and accommodate 25 percent more theater students and summer theater campers, Stone said.

Hornbeck said the Chamber wants to move because "The building, for any number of different reasons, just doesn't meet our needs any more."

The organization has not begun to look for a new place, he said.

Stone said the theater company will launch a capital campaign to help buy the building.

The Hurrah Players has never owned a building.

"This is our 25th season. This is why this is so important, vital and timely," Copeland said.

"For 25 years we've survived," he said, "Now it's time to thrive."

Cheryl Ross, (757) 446-2443, cheryl.ross@pilotonline.com