On Monday, March 18th, the City of Victoria announced that they would be purchasing the building which houses Hermann’s Jazz Club, Hermann’s Upstairs and View Street Social.
This news comes just weeks after the announcement that Hermann’s Upstairs would be closing at the end of March.
The building is an iconic piece of Victoria’s history as Hermann’s Jazz Club is the longest running jazz venue in Canada as it was started in 1981.
The original owner of the business and the building it occupied, Hermann Nieweler, passed away in 2015 and left everything to his family.
They entrusted the business side of the Nieweler legacy to Arts on View Society, a non-profit organization who wanted to see the jazz club continue to run as Hermann would have operated it.
In May 2022, the Arts on View Society had the opportunity to lease the second and third floors from the Nieweler family and opened Hermann’s Upstairs as a dance club and music venue that could provide space to genres outside of jazz to play.
Hermann’s upstairs became a popular dance club and gave opportunities to many DJs as well as the people who attended their open mic nights and blues jams.
Despite that, after just under two years of operation Arts on View Society could not reach an amicable lease renewal agreement with the Nieweler family.
At the beginning of March, Arts on View Society informed all the staff of Hermann’s Upstairs that they’d be closing their doors for good at the end of the month.
Now, The City of Victoria and Arts on View Society have both revealed that the City has purchased the building from the Nieweler family.
The sale cost Victoria $3.95 million which came out of the City’s Land Sale Reserve.
Victoria acquired the building to ensure that more music venues don’t close in the city.
“This purchase demonstrates Council’s commitment to preserving and investing in music spaces downtown as reflected in our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan,” said Mayor Marianne Alto.
“This venue’s importance was also identified during development of the Victoria Music Strategy, and I hope it will continue to contribute to Victoria’s vibrant arts and culture scene for years to come.”
Arts on View Society says they see this as an opportunity to revitalize their spaces to provide better entertainment to Victorians.
According to the City’s media release on the topic, Hermann’s Upstairs will still be closing its doors at the end of the month and Victoria will be working with Arts on View Society to identify new tenants who can operate the second floor space as a music venue.
The City added that finding a new tenant for the second floor is an “immediate priority.”
“This strategic acquisition allows the City to play an important role in the preservation of space for live music, while also diversifying the organization’s revenue streams and real estate portfolio,” said Thomas Soulliere, Deputy City Manager.
Staff of Hermann’s Upstairs are still going to be let go at the end of the month.
