The purchase reflects the city’s commitment to preserving and investing in downtown music spaces as part of the city council’s four-year strategic plan, the mayor said.
Mayor Marianne Alt said the City of Victoria invested $3.95 million in the arts community by purchasing 751-753 View Street, home to Herman’s Jazz Club and View Street Social.
Hermann’s is Canada’s longest continuously operating jazz club.
She said the purchase of the venue reflects the city’s commitment to preserving and investing in downtown music spaces, which is part of the city council’s four-year strategic plan.
“The importance of this venue was recognized during the development of the Victorian Music Strategy and we hope it will continue to contribute to Victoria’s vibrant arts and culture scene for many years to come.” said Alto.
The purchase price includes the building, business assets, and the need to find tenants for the upper floors.
The Arts on View Association, which operated the building’s live music venue, has notified the previous owners that it will no longer lease and operate the upper floor, known as Herman’s Upstairs Lounge, after March 31. did.
The association will instead focus on operating Herman’s Jazz Club and View Street Social on the ground floor. “The City’s commitment to our vision to create and sustain a performing arts center in downtown Victoria is nowhere better expressed than in our recent purchase of the building that houses the iconic Herman’s Jazz Club. There are none,” said Executive Director Clay Barber. of the Art On View Association.
Barber said the association has received ample support from the city since July 2019, when it leased the business operations of Herman’s Jazz Club from the Nieweller family.
Deputy City Manager Thomas Soullier said the timing of the sale was due to acquisition eventually becoming an option.
“We investigated it, completed our due diligence on what was involved, and were able to successfully negotiate a contract with the owner,” he said.
The 1920s building was owned by the Nieböller family. Hermann Nieböhler, who passed away in 2015, founded Hellmann’s in 1981. After his death, his family took over ownership and worked with the Arts on View Society to maintain Mr. Nieweller’s legacy. Nieweller’s son, Stefan, co-owns the land with his brothers Ingrid and Edward and believes the city will be a “good steward” of his father’s legacy.
Various developers have tried to buy the property over the past decade, but Nieweller said he never felt he got the right deal. “There have been many conversations over the years with different people, but nothing has come to fruition. …I felt very strongly about my father’s vision for art and music, so I decided to do this I’m very happy to be able to do it.”
“I don’t think they would have bought it unless they were keen to work with Arts on View to continue and further develop that legacy.”
Jazz singer Heather Ferguson, chair of the Arts on View board of directors, was thrilled by the news Monday. Ms Ferguson performs twice a year at Herman’s, which she considers to be the best venue in Victoria. Herman’s closure would have been a huge blow to current and future members of Victoria’s music community, she said.
“Herman’s has supported up-and-coming artists for many years. We have a lot of young musicians going on to college playing there. It gives them gigs and gives them experience.”
She added that it was a win-win scenario for the purchase to align with the city’s arts and culture master plan and music strategy and strengthen the arts and culture economy. “It’s really exciting to have a landlord that really understands that, because there are so many more opportunities that we can offer musicians.”
Soullier said purchasing the venue was a strategic move because buildings like this are at risk as the city continues to grow and redevelop.
“The city’s priority is to be proactive in exploring opportunities, including potential acquisitions, to preserve live music rehearsal and performance space that aligns with the city’s strategic priorities.” said.
The purchase price is about $691,000 more than the building’s appraised value. BC Assessment’s appraised value for 751 View St. was $3.26 million as of July 2023. Soullier said the city believes the city and taxpayers got value for their money.
He would not be interested in giving an opinion on how residents would react to the news other than to say the purchase was “consistent with existing strategic priorities approved by City Council.”
The city will serve as the landlord for the building, which has two floors and approximately 15,000 square feet of space.
Saullier said the city will enter into a commercial lease agreement with the tenant, just like any other city-owned property.
“The city plans to explore opportunities for another tenant to operate it.” [the upper floor] “Once the deal is done and we get everything, we’ll have that space,” he said. “Our focus is to ensure that the upstairs venue is utilized to its full potential and continues to be a venue for arts and culture, and hopefully music, for many years to come.”
There is no rent subsidy, but it is set according to the market price.
The purchase will have no impact on this year’s budget because the $3.95 million comes from the Land Sales Reserve Fund, which was established with proceeds from land the city has sold over the years.
The fund can only be used for land acquisition and capital expenditures, and there will be an unallocated balance of $100,000 after the sale.
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