Norfolk Municipal Auditorium

Norfolk Municipal Auditorium
Construction
Location	East 9th & Granby Streets Norfolk, VA 23529
Owner	City of Norfolk
Operator	City of Norfolk
Capacity	3,000
Opened	1943
Closed	1993
Construction cost	$543,000
Tenants
William & Mary Indians (alternate)

Norfolk Municipal Auditorium was a 5,200 seat multi-purpose arena and music venue in Norfolk, Virginia that opened in May 1943. The arena was constructed after the City of Norfolk and the military found a need to construct an entertainment venue in the city after the population of the city doubled between 1938 and 1941 as a result of World War II-related military buildup.^[1]

The building remains standing but serves as storage and administrative space for the since-added Harrison Opera House.

History

Construction

The building was constructed with combined funds from the City of Norfolk, who gave $245,000, and the Military, who allocated $278,000 from the Federal War Fund. The building, designed by architect Clarence Neff, contained a 3,000-person auditorium and sports arena and a 1,800-person theater.

The City of Norfolk took full ownership of the facility in 1947.

Operation

The venue was host to a large variety of events: trade shows, conventions, industry events, concerts, high school and college graduations, plays, and the television studios of the predecessor to WTKR. Elvis Presley was one prominent act to play at the Norfolk Auditorium.

The venue also served as the alternate home to the William & Mary Indians basketball team; the Indians (now known as the Tribe) usually played one or two home games a year in Norfolk (away from their usual home at Blow Gymnasium in Williamsburg).

Decline and renovation

The building began to fall out of use with the opening of the modern Norfolk Scope Arena in 1971. William & Mary stopped playing games in Norfolk and Old Dominion University (formerly known as the College of William and Mary in Norfolk) began playing its basketball games at the ODU Fieldhouse on its campus.

Nonetheless, the building saw a massive renovation in 1993 in order for the Virginia Opera, which was founded in 1974 by a group of community leaders organized by Edythe Harrison, to make use of the auditorium's Center Theater. The renovation, which cost around $10 milion, added "a dynamic new facade, a three story grand lobby with floor to ceiling windows, glittering chandeliers, and an enclosed elegant staircase to the grand foyer and balcony levels." The theater-portion of the theater, with a new seating capacity of 1,632, was henceforth known as the Harrison Opera House.

Current status

The old gymnasium and arena, which is still visibly attached to the back of the renovated Opera House, is no longer in use and now serves as a storage and construction area for the Virginia Opera as well as the location for the Opera's administrative offices.

References

↑ "Norfolk Memorial Auditorium". Scotty Moore. 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2016.

William & Mary Tribe men's basketball

Venues	Blow Gymnasium (1925–1971) Norfolk Municipal Auditorium (alternate; 1952–1965) Kaplan Arena at William & Mary Hall (1971–present)

Culture & lore	Records Retired jerseys Hershberger Award hoax Griffin Colonel Ebirt Scandal of 1951

People	Head coaches

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City of Norfolk

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Attractions	Attucks Theatre Chrysler Hall Chrysler Museum of Art Harbor Park Harrison Opera House Nauticus Norfolk Scope Virginia Zoo Waterside Wells Theatre Mermaids

Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area Virginia

Music venues of Virginia

Outdoor venues	Blue Ridge Music Center Brown's Island Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach Jiffy Lube Live Meadow Event Park NTelos Wireless Pavilion Dick Price Stadium Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Theaters and clubs	The Birchmere Carter Family Fold The Coffee Pot Harrison Opera House Jammin' Java JV's Restaurant Landmark Theater Little Grill Collective National Theater Norva Theatre Palace Theatre State Theatre

Arenas	Berglund Center Cassell Coliseum Ted Constant Convocation Center Hampton Coliseum Hampton University Convocation Center James Madison University Convocation Center John Paul Jones Arena Norfolk State University - Echols Hall Norfolk Scope Patriot Center Richmond Coliseum Salem Civic Center Stuart C. Siegel Center Vines Center William & Mary Hall

Festival sites	FloydFest Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Historical venues	Trax

Coordinates: 36°53′09″N 76°18′41″W / 36.885959°N 76.311494°W / 36.885959; -76.311494

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