City of Victoria buys historic Hermann's Jazz Club for $4M

The outside of Hermann's Jazz Club in Victoria on March 5, 2019. (CTV News)

The City of Victoria is getting into the live music business after shelling out nearly $4 million to buy the Hermann's Jazz Club building, home to one of the longest-running jazz clubs in the country.

The announcement came just days after the club's non-profit operator, the Arts on View Society, announced it would no longer lease and operate the club's upper floor Hermann's Upstairs lounge by the end of the month due to financial pressures.

Victoria spokesperson Colleen Mycroft issued a media release Monday announcing the city had purchased the View Street building and the businesses operating within it, which also includes the View Street Social pub.

"This purchase demonstrates council's commitment to preserving and investing in music spaces downtown as reflected in our 2023-2026 strategic plan," Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said in the release.

The four-year strategic plan prioritizes investments in artistic, theatrical and music spaces aligns with the city's OUR DWTN program to rejuvenate the downtown core.

"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," Alto added.

First adopted by city council during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victoria Music Strategy aims to foster the city's music scene by preserving live music venues and providing grants for artists.

The Arts on View Society will continue to operate both the jazz club and the View Street Social pub, while the city's immediate priority for the site will be finding a new tenant for the upstairs lounge.

The $3.95-million purchase was funded by Victoria's land acquisitions reserve fund, according to the city.

Inside Hermann’s Jazz Club in downtown Victoria, B.C. (CTV News)

Hermann's Jazz Club was founded by German immigrant Hermann Nieweler on Government Street in 1981 before it moved to its present location in 1986. Nieweler died in 2015, leaving the View Street building and businesses to his family through his estate.

"Following his passing, Hermann's estate spent the past nine years steering the legacy of this great institution towards a sustainable, long-term operating structure that will continue to serve the local community," son Stephan Nieweler said in an emailed statement Monday.

"With the completion of an agreement to sell Hermann's historic downtown building to the people of Victoria, I feel assured that this national treasure will remain an integral part of the community's rich artistic and cultural fabric for many years to come," he added.

Clay Barber, the executive director of the Arts on View Society, said he expects the city's ownership of the building will help sustain the live music venue well into the future.

"We applaud the city's vision and support of the arts and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship," Barber added.

Victoria's deputy city manager, Thomas Soulliere, said the acquisition will allow the city to preserve cultural spaces while also diversifying its revenue streams and real estate portfolio.