Hopewell's Beacon Theatre gets bigger board, nonprofit status as it nears 100-year anniversary

HOPEWELL, Va. — The Beacon Theatre, a historic music venue considered both an economic and cultural asset to Hopewell, is undergoing significant structural changes after the city council recently approved measures to expand its governing board and transition the business to nonprofit status.

Hopewell City Council approved expanding the theatre's board from 4 members to 14. In a statement, the city attorney said the move will help "ensure that the board had enough new voices to select its vision for a new direction" and that the Beacon should provide "programming that reflects the people of the City and region."

City Council believes a larger board will bring a broader range of professional experience, community involvement and perspectives to support the theatre's operations.

The council also approved transitioning the Beacon Theatre from an LLC to a nonprofit organization. The city attorney said that change has the potential to bring in additional funding, including grants.

Kane Tyler, a Hopewell business owner, said the move could have a major financial impact on the region.

"Any time a Grant is positioned or offered to a Company of that stature, you got to make that work. It's gotta work because necessarily the revenue for the area is always need. I believe it is a huge plus," Tyler said.

City Council also passed a resolution making the Beacon Theatre exempt from real property taxes.

The changes come as the venue approaches a major milestone. The building was completed in 1928, putting it just 2 years away from its 100th anniversary.

"The Building was completed in 1928 and it's actually a sister buildings to the Byrd Theatre Downtown. They opened a week apart and it opened as a Vaudeville Theatre," Laurin Willis, general manager of the Beacon Theatre, said.

Over the decades, the venue evolved from live stage performances into a movie house before eventually closing in 1981.

"Everything had fallen apart with the Movie Industry, so the Beacon Theatre closed," Willis said.

The venue was restored and came back to life in 2014.

"Today it is a Music Venue, we produce between 100-120 concerts a year, everything from Tribute Bands to wold touring artists," Willis said.

Last year, 40,000 people walked through the doors of the Beacon. By the end of this year, the theatre expects to have hosted 178 events.

For local business owners, the theatre's impact is felt daily. Wendy Tyler, a Hopewell business owner, said the venue draws visitors from well outside the area.

"I think it's a drawing for tourists, people come in here and tell me all the time they go over there over there and hear the bands, they live out of the area and they come specifically for the Beacon," Wendy Tyler said.

Randy Sealey, a Hopewell resident, business owner and long-time patron of the Beacon Theatre, said the venue benefits the broader local economy.

"So it brings in people that can eat at the Boathouse. They can eat at Good Ship Brewery. They just visit the area and visiting the area is very important," Sealey said.

Kane Tyler echoed that sentiment.

"It brings in a lot of outside guests. I think people travel from everywhere to see good show," Kane Tyler said.

Wendy Tyler agreed.

"I do think it's a plus for businesses," Wendy Tyler said.

Sealey summed up what the Beacon means to the community.

"It is probably one of the best things in Hopewell," Sealey said.

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