As expected, the Brave New Workshop closed its deal Friday to buy the former Hennepin Stages Theater. The property at 824 Hennepin Avenue went for $725,000, according to the city of Minneapolis, which owned the building. News first broke in early January that Brave New Workshop had put in a bid and the City Council approved the deal on Feb. 25. Things went smoothly after that and the comedy theater plans a grand opening this fall.
John Sweeney, one of the co-owners of the Workshop, has big plans for the space, which once housed Hey City Theater. The place has two potential theaters — upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs room is more flexible and Sweeney sees a number of things going in there — banquets, meetings, workshops, training.
Acquiring the downtown building is a big move for the Workshop. Shortly after purchasing the business from founder Dudley Riggs in 1997, Sweeney moved his cheese to Calhoun Square. He came back, limping a little, to 2605 Hennepin Ave., which has remained BNW headquarters since Riggs settled in the mid 1960s. He said in January that he feels the time is right now for expansion. The company will still use 2605 Hennepin for improvisation classes but shows will move downtown.
"We could not be more exicted to add 824 Hennepin to the Brave New Workshop brand," Sweeney said in a press release.
Mayor R.T. Rybak and Lisa Goodman, who chairs the city’s community development committee, both applauded the move. Rybak noted that Brave new Workshop has the potential of bringing 30,000 theatergoers downtown throughout the year.
BNW’s current show, "Sarah Palin’s Minnesota; or Hindsight is 2011" runs through June 24 at 2605 Hennepin. And for that matter, the Hennepin Theater Trust will continue with its current show in Hennepin Stages, "Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women," through June 26.
By Graydon Royce, Star Tribune Artcettera