It appears Triad Stage, Greensboro’s professional regional theater, will have a new life after halting all operations in June.
Or at least the building will.
Downtown Greensboro Inc. announced on Monday, Dec. 19 that a “partnership of local investors with deep ties to the community and the arts will purchase the former Triad Stage building located at 232 South Elm Street.”
The press release states, “The new ownership team’s goals are to bring energy and a creative vibe back to Elm Street in this historic building that has given so much to the community over the years.”
However, the DGI press release doesn’t give any indication of who the “local investors” are or any more information about the plans to use the building that was once a Montgomery Ward store and was renovated in 2002 into a performing arts theater. In 2008, a second renovation added an 80-seat cabaret space, a rehearsal hall and offices to the building.
Triad Stage was opened in 2002 by two Yale University graduates, Preston Lane and Richard Whittington, as a non-profit regional theater, and up until 2020 the theater continued to grow and expand. However, in 2020 Triad Stage had to halt operations due to COVID restrictions and it didn’t reopen until October 2022.
In April 2023 Triad Stage announced it was pausing operations and then announced its permanent closure in June 2023.
In November it was announced that the Triad Stage building would be going up for auction on Monday, Dec. 11 through Wednesday Dec. 13. The bidding for the 34,774-square-foot building built in1936 started at $300,000.
In the press release announcing the purchase by a group of “local investors,” President and CEO of DGI Greensboro City Councilmember Zack Matheny said, “The revival and reimagination of this unique cultural asset in the heart of Greensboro is an important social investment for our community and our future. We appreciate the vision and leadership of the local ownership group and are excited about the opportunity to revitalize this fixture for the arts in our community.”
I hope the new owners have an idea of what to do with this location. Downtown is not a location that many people wish to visit, especially at night.
Except it is a place people want to visit. Visitors in Downtown is up. Greensboro residents want more things to do in downtown. People around the state are coming to visit. Downtown has been packed the last several weekends including at night. It’s not dangerous, that’s your imaginary perception. If you ever actually came downtown then you would know that, but you yourself say that you don’t.
John did you read the city manager’s op-ed in the fishwrap Tuesday. He was crowing about all the great things the city has done about the homeless problem. He spoke of the 3.3 million that has been spent on the motel on highway 29 as a plus for the city. He wasn’t here when it was bought and now it’s being sold to a California Co. Ask him what happened to the money that was given to Ms. Kennedy to start the renovations 2 years ago. Nothing has been done since it was purchased. It’s a motel with bath rooms heat and electricity in all the rooms what renovations need to be done for it to house homeless people. Just another dog and pony show from our liberal city council
I am sure it’s the same old group running the cabal downtown. With tax incentives and city money to come.
Wonderful to hear that “local investors” are purchasing the building. And since they have “deep pockets” I guess they will not be asking taxpayers for additional funding. It’s about time that “investors” in the arts figured out how to be artsy on their own nickels…