The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-17
Park Hotel Site Bought
by w allerstein
for Lyric
( HURCHES HAVE
WON THEIR + lGHI
Grace Street Location Abandoned
in Face of Ordinance-New
Theatre to Occupy Plenty of
Ground-Entrance to
Be Had Through
Arch.

Though still convinced that there
was no valid law by which the city
! could deny license 20 the Lyric The
| atre. at Eighth and Grace Streets. the
| promoters have definitely abandoned
the idea Of building on that corner.
announcement being made yesterday
! that the Park Hotel. at Ninth and
Broad streets, had been acquired. and
that a bigger and a Better Lyric would
! be erected on that site.
Possession, however, will not be Sc
cured before April !. Even II the prop
| erty could be delivered 10 day II would
not be possible to build in time for
the season which is now approaching.
Il has been decided. Therefore. to begin
work next spring, with the idea OF
having the house open for its first at
fractions early In the autumn OF 1912.
Bought BROAD.
Henry 5. Wallerstein. who had the
contract for the erection Of the Lyric.
which had been leased by the Wells
Amusement Company for q long term
OF years. recently got into the Broad
Street real estate market and bought
the Park Hotel. without shouting his
plans from the housetops. At the
same time he acquired adjoining prop
erty. The new theatre site has a
frontage Of seventy feet on Broad
Street. depth OF 40 feet along Ninth
to Capitol, with seventy feet on Cap
/ itol. There is ample room for q high-
! class theatre. The main entrance, on
Broad Street. Will be through an arch.
on either side OF which two stores will
be erected. but not in q manner TO
detract from the handsome appearance
| OF the structure.
James j. Pollard. of Pollard g. Bagby.
who had charge of the transaction, de-
chneG yesterday 10 deny or confirm
the report. but i. Is known that prac-
| tically every arrangement has been
made and that the Park Hotel people
will be notified within the next few days
that they must vavate by April /. Elk
| tensive changes. II is SAID Will be
made IN the plans for the Lyric. which
Will add greatly to its seating capac-
ity and facilities. and which will run
the total cost of site and building up
TO s2o5.0o0 or more While the site
is about one block east OF the real
shopping end OF Broad Street, 1t is re-
garded as exceptionally desirable
far more so than the place formerly
selected on Grace Street.
Prohibitory Ordinance.
Negotiations have been pending for
some time, and it has been reported
for several weeks that the Lyric would
not be located on a corner which had
aroused such violent objections from
the churches and the City Council. In
deed. the passage OF the ordinance to
| prohibit the issuance OF a license to
any place of amusement within $50 feet
OF church, Notwithstanding the fact
that permit had already been issued
by the city, was the direct result OF
| well organized fight by the vestry of
st. Paul's Episcopal and by ST. Peters
Catholic Churches, both in the same
block. Il had been virtually agreed to
test the legality OF the ordinance by a
petition TO the Supreme Court for
writ of mandamus, but lately the pro-
| motors have gracefully yielded. and
| there will be no occasion now for a
| contest in the courts. Exactly what
| provision will be made of the property
at Eighth and Grace has not been
stated though 1t is regarded as MOTT
valuable site In what is destined to he
| come strictly a business centre
Some weeks ago Jake Wells and NJ.
L. Hofheimer had several conferences,
at which they discussed the sale or
lease of the Empire Theatre. which
Mr.. Hofheimer has erected on West
Broad Street. That deal. however,
was not put through. from all accounts,
as it was unreasonable TO suppose that
the Wells, Company would take over
the Empire If 1t was still proceeding
with its idea of building another house.
The Empire and the Lyric will offer
practically the Same line of attractions.
There had been some uncertainty of
late as TO whether or not the Wells
Company would build but the fact that
II has taken over the Park Hotel evil
IDENTIFY means that no effort will be
| made by Mr.. Wells and his associates
to lease the Empire.
Expect Business House.
Genuine satisfaction will be ex-
| pressed by church people. especially
those who joined In the protest. over
the announcement that a theatre will
not be erected on Grace Street, directly
! opposite st. Peters and within a few
steps of st. Pauls. The church people
realize. however, that property in that
block is far too valuable for residences
of the ancient type. and they expect
eventually to find some big business es-
tabltshment on the corner But the
| main fight was against a theatre. and
nothing else.
| The Park Hotel is being operated at
present as an adjunct or annex to the
| Richmond, but the Richmond Is already
at work on an addition which will dou-
BILE It's capacity and make 1t one of
the principal hotels in the South. It
| is expected that the New Richmond will
be completed before the Park lease
expires next spring. so the whole deal
can be put through without inconve-
| nience to any business concern
"
Ready for President.