©
 |
| The theater, above, has been closed for three months after a shooting led officer to discover numerous fire and safety violations.
(The Virginian-Pilot file photo) |
By Harry Minium
The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK
The Granby Theater, closed by city officials nearly three months ago after a near-fatal shooting led investigators to find numerous fire and safety violations, could reopen as soon as next month.
Owner Bobby Wright has applied for a permit to serve alcohol and provide entertainment at the Granby Theater. The application will be considered by the Planning Commission on June 28 and could be heard by the City Council as soon as July 10.
A sign on the exterior of the downtown venue said it will reopen this summer, and Wednesday afternoon, city officials didn't disagree.
"I would certainly support the reopening of the theater under certain reasonable conditions," Mayor Paul Fraim said.
Fraim said he met with Wright recently and that the conversation was positive.
"I understand all of the fire and safety concerns have been remedied," Fraim said.
Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot, who helped arrange the meeting between Wright and Fraim, said he thinks the application will be approved.
"I see no reason why they should not get another chance to reopen," he said. "I think they understand what we're trying to do downtown and in the city of Norfolk."
The words from city officials were far different in late March, when they shut down the theater the day after a shooting at a hip-hop show. Officials investigated complaints that some patrons could not rapidly exit the theater. They found no blocked outlets but cited Wright with 15 fire and safety violations, including some related to electrical outlets.
City officials yanked Wright's permit to serve alcohol and provide entertainment, causing him to close. When asked what Wright could do at the Granby Theater, Fraim replied: "He could sell lemonade, I suppose."
The former movie theater was renovated in 2005 into a nightclub at a cost of more than $4 million, Wright said. He put the property up for sale after it was closed and said it is still for sale to the right investor.
"But this is my baby," he said. "I will not sell the business just to anyone."
He said if he receives permission to reopen, "we'll be starting all over."
Wright said he has no plans to book hip-hop acts and that he will follow the city's advice that security be provided by off-duty Norfolk police officers.
"We hope it will be bigger and better than ever," he said. "I have been overwhelmed by the show of support from thousands of patrons. They've been asking us what they can do to help us get back open."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371,
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Is the only real party in H.R. back?
Don't blame Hip-Hop! I agree with most in that it's the lack of security that's the real issue. Also agree with some that the lack of diversity on Granby is an issue. I think it's pretty obvious that Granby St. is not trying to cater to the black community ie: charging more at the door, not being very hospitable (or just rude), or just not allowing some in at all. Anyway...I'm sure we all know that...if you don't your fooling yourself. This is about the theatre reopening and although I've never been there I'm happy it's back cuz house is the only music I can dance to. As stated in another comment...every metro area from the Shelter in NYC to the wanna be house played in D.C. have strictly house clubs. Welcome back! Can't wait 2 C ya!
Hip-Hop Isn't the Only Music Being Neglected
I love rock music in all it's various forms and don't party downtown on account that it's predominantly Pop music. Nearly all clubs in the Hampton Roads area are the same style of music and it sucks. We need more diversity, I cruise downtown with all my piercings and "weird looks" and pretentious people gawk. I do like Hell's Kitchen, Blue Plate,and Norva(non-smoking Sucks) and applaud them for allowing bands to come in and play but sometimes I may want to hear Industrial. I never went to the Granby Theater mainly on account of the Dress Code. Rock listeners don't abide by dress codes!!!! If it does reopen get ready for another Bar Norfolk Clone Hooray for monotony!!
Oh geez,here comes the race card !!...
are you kidding me ? You think that the Granby Theater stopping hip hop events is some how racist or intended to keep blacks out ???..Hello ! This shooting happened on "hip hop night" lmao !! If their intention was to keep black people out of their club then they never would have allowed hip hop events in the first place ! So obviously they have no problems with "African Americans" . Heres another example of someone pulling the race card simply to pour fuel on the fire . Furthermore ,there has been a consistent track record in our area or "hip hop" venues leading to shootings and violence. Shame on you.
I grew up in the gangsta rap and hiphop generation .When you supply poor and parentless children with glorified images of wealth and violence through music,they tend to have reality blurred in their minds. Let's not pretend that music doesn't influence young people behavior .And no,a Billy Ray Cirus concert will not incite violence in the same manner. Get real
Using Hip Hop As A Scapegoat
Hip Hop is the scapegoat that club owners and vendors use to say that they don't want African American and other urban cultured individuals to attend their events. Banning Hip Hop acts from the Granby Theatre is just another way of stating, "No African Americans Allowed". Please don't mistake me; I don't believe that all African Americans listen to Hip Hop and nor do I believe that Hip Hop's only listener's are African Americans. It's a shame that things are still the same. Nothing has changed. If things remained the way they were before Integration, African Americans wouldn't have to worry about attending others' venues and events. Our money would remain invested in our own businesses and institutions. Its 2007, when will we ever wake up?
Hip Hop
Hip Hop isn't the problem. The calibre of the people who enjoy listening to the profanity and filth in much of the hip hop and rap "music" is the problem. Low life people bring low life actions, no matter what the music. Not much can ever be done about the quality of the people certain "music" attracts. Socially, we are in serious trouble, and no one will face the "music" as to what the REAL problem is.
I personally can't wait!
You can stand at any club in this city, throw a stone, and hit the next one that plays the same kind of music as the first. I'm glad Premier will re-open because it was the ONLY club in this area that offered a full lineup of house music consistently. Go to any "major" city in this country, and you won't find it overrun with clubs that play only one style of music. I applaud Bobby for bringing a bit of seriously lacking diversity to this area, and I only hope that the city recognizes his innovativeness and forward thinking. Instead of making low comments like the Mayor's that only show pettiness and disrespect, the city should be encouraging more efforts like Bobby's. People that like house music like it because it doesn't exploit, degrade, or encourage aggression, and I do not see anything negative about that. Best of luck (and a speedy re-opening) to the Granby Theatre!!!
Wake Up People!
Everyone blames hip-hop music for everything wrong with society! That is not the issue here. The bottom line is there was a dispute that ended in an irrational manner. The type of music that was playing during the altercation is irrelovant. Its a know fact that Rock concerts have had a history of violent outcomes (not to mention these concert continue during and after these outcomes). Excluding a genre of music isn't the key. Simply enforcing your dress code and security measures at all times with no exceptions for special events can eleviate a lot of these problems. Hip-hop is not the answer to remedy this, security enforcement is the key!
Hip hop is not the issue
I have to agree with Occasio Gee. Hip hop is not the issue but often gets blamed for shootings and/or incidents. Other factors i.e. age, type of crowd, security doing their job correctly, and alcohol play into why incidents happen. I say any kind of music played can have an incident happen even house music. There are establishments in the area that play hip hop that have never had incidents happen at their establishments.
No hip hop
I think it's unfair to say that hip hop was strictly the cause of the shooting at the Granby Theater. A shooting or violence can occur anywhere no matter what type of music is playing. Downtown Norfolk needs more than one place for patrons to hear hip hop music!!! Don't get me wrong, the Granby Theater is a very classy place however, I know for a fact that some people including myself do not like to go in there because they play only one type of music all night along! We have to have some type of variety in the downtown area. It seems very one sided to the type of music that is played on Granby street. I'm looking forward to the Granby Theater reopening again because it does seem strange that they are not open. However, I hope that they make changes to the music to attract a wide range of audiences.
comment
How come if you own an apartment building, or a grocery store and someone shoots someone on your property it has nothing to do with you - But if you own a restaurant, and someone shoots someone on your property you lose your business? Oh yeah, and everyone that works there loses there job ... By the way is the paper ever going to mention what happened to the guy that actually did the shooting or is it all completely about Bobby Wright now? He's not the one that did the shooting, you know.