Fingers crossed, arts festival group to break ground

NORFOLK

The Virginia Arts Festival will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its new $3.5 million headquarters on Bank Street at 11 a.m. today.

The event is just ceremonial because the City Council has yet to approve the project.

"We wanted to do the groundbreaking during the festival because the festival is getting so much attention now," said Rob Cross, the festival's executive and artistic director.

The festival began April 18 and runs through June 1.

"By doing it now, we're creating more buzz," Cross said.

Council members indicated last week that they had no qualms with the event taking place now, Mayor Paul Fraim said.

The group's original plan was to build on a donated lot on West Olney Road, between Granby Street and Wilson Avenue. When zoning and parking issues arose, festival officials explored other options.

City officials offered a trade: the Olney property for a city-owned parcel on Bank Street, which is now the parking lot for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.

Once legal documents are complete, the council will schedule a public hearing and a vote on the land deal. Cross said construction should begin in July or August. Work will take about a year, he said.

Plans call for a 12,000-square-foot building of glass, stone and concrete to house administrative offices, a box office and rehearsal studios. It will be named the Clay and Jay Barr Education Center. The festival now leases about 5,000 square feet of office space from the city. It also pays the city to use its performance halls.

Historic preservationists had expressed concern about the effe ct the contemporary building would have on the neighboring former Norfolk Academy.

Constructed in 1840 in the Greek Revival style, the facility is now home to the Chamber of Commerce. About 110 feet will separate the two buildings.

The festival's architects altered the original plans to include a two-story glass atrium in the center of the building to allow a view of the academy building's facade from the street.

The festival began a fundraising campaign about three years ago to raise $10 million - $3.5 million for a new building and $6.5 million for an endowment. About $7.7 million has been raised so far.

Debbie Messina, (757) 446-2588, debbie.messina@pilotonline.com