WILLIAMSBURG – On Monday, Williamsburg City Council reviewed plans for an $83.1 million live performance venue proposed across from the Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center, and received an update on the planned Williamsburg Regional Library Downtown project.
The project would include a 68,000-square-foot indoor performance center and a 90,000-square-foot outdoor amphitheater. James City County Administrator and Historic Triangle Recreational Facilities Authority Chair Scott Stevens and Rick Hibbett from architectural firm of Clark Nexsen presented the plans to council at its work session.
According to Hibbett, the project has been in the works since 2022, when the Williamsburg Area Arts Commission conducted a survey of local arts groups and presented a needs assessment to the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County. The performance venue was originally proposed in 2023 by construction firm MEB and Clark Nexsen as a secondary project to complement the sports center.
The estimate includes $74.5 million for the venue, $1.6 million in interim agreement fees, $6.4 million for theater equipment and $1.3 million for food and beverage equipment. The indoor venue would accommodate up to 1,700 people, while the amphitheater would include 1,100 seats and lawn space for 3,900 people.
“We designed the venue in a way that it would not take a lot to change out for different functions,” Hibbett said.
The venue would be designed to host an array of events, from symphonies to dance performances to concert series. The presentation included a video with local arts groups spokespeople, including the Virginia Regional Ballet, the Virginia Arts Festival, the Muscarelle Museum at William & Mary and the Williamsburg Symphony.
“A live performance venue in the heart of Williamsburg is an investment in the arts, in our community’s cultural vitality,” David Brasher, the Muscarelle’s director, said in the video. “It would create opportunities for our gifted performers while elevating Williamsburg’s status as a top-tier cultural destination.”
A feasibility study from Victus Advisor projected that the venue could host 83 events annually once it reaches stabilized operations, and could draw roughly 141,400 attendees, including nearly 99,000 visitors from outside the Historic Triangle. Those visitors could generate about $12.4 million in direct spending in Greater Williamsburg and $17.9 million in total economic output. The study projected about $2.47 million in annual revenue and $2.24 million in operating expenses in Year 3, which leaves roughly $224,000 in net income.
Hibbett said design for the project is about 35% to 40% complete, with roughly six months left for that phase. Clark Nexsen estimates 24 months for total project completion.
While Council members leaned towards supporting the project, they still voiced concerns about the necessity for the project given the Matoaka Amphitheater and Phi Beta Kappa performance spaces at William & Mary, as well as parking and the cost of demolishing the now-closed Cascades Motel located at the project site.
Hibbett noted William & Mary’s programming for the PBK spaces, which take priority over external organizations’ events and can lead to limited availability. He said the Matoaka Amphitheater doesn’t have the necessary equipment for large-scale events, like Williamsburg Live!.
In response to Mayor Douglas Pons’ concerns about parking, Hibbett said coordinating event scheduling for the sports center and the performance venue would help prevent parking shortages. He answered councilwoman Ayanna Williams’ concern about the Cascades Motel demolition costs by saying they are already included in the project projections and would not be an additional expense.
“Having a home for these cultural events, creating an opportunity, as some of the speakers say, here would be a phenomenal next step,” Vice Mayor W. Pat Dent said.
The library updates included renderings, a timeline and project costs. The updates were presented by Sandy Towers, Williamsburg Regional Library Director; Michael Schnekser, Tymoff+Moss Architects; and Jim Yatzeck, MBP.
According to Yatzeck, they hope to begin demolition of the former Williamsburg Police building in January 2027. They projected construction would begin in April 2027, with the new library fully operational by Aug. 7, 2028. The total cost estimated for the library project is about $37.2 million.
Council expressed overall support for the project, with Mayor Pons noting the library’s importance to the community.
Additionally, Council approved delaying its two-year strategic plan, known as the Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes process until 2027 and to revisit in September. The process “includes reviewing current initiatives and priorities, gathering public input and presenting observations and data to City Council,” according to the agenda.
They also approved the readoption of remote participation for council members. This allowed member Stacy Kern-Scherer to attend Monday’s meeting.
Councilwoman Barbara Ramsey also announced an informal, public council chat with Williams on Aug. 18 at 5 p.m. at the Stryker Center.
