WILLIAMSBURG — The Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve an interim agreement with MEB General Contractors Inc. to design a live performance venue on the property.
The HTRFA is the regional entity established by the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County to evaluate, construct, and operate recreational facilities supported by one or more of the participating localities.
The regional sports center, planned for the approximately 62.9 acres adjacent to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center which HTRFA leases from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is the first phase of the project and is now under construction.
The live performance venue is the second phase of the project.
Architectural firms Clark Nexsen, Guernsey Tingle, and Timmons Group are part of the design team for this project, according to the City of Williamsburg. According to the city, the interim agreement calls for MEB to develop 35% of the live performance venue design drawings.
Consideration of local needs is an essential element of the work, and the city said the process will include soliciting input from the various performance groups in the Historic Triangle to ensure the facility design meets as many needs as possible. To that end, Advocates for a Live Performance Venue, a local advocacy group that includes many regional performance entities, was approved this week to receive a grant from the Williamsburg City Council to conduct market and economic analyses with Victus Advisors, the firm that conducted similar analyses for the sports center.
Completing the work of the Interim Agreement and the studies will give the HTRFA and its localities the information needed to decide how and whether to advance this project to construction, the city said. The work is expected to be completed in early 2025.
Read the interim agreement at htrfa.org.
