The sale of the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft closed today, transferring ownership of the 144-year-old downtown theater from the Town of Riverhead to the Stony Brook-based nonprofit.
The closing marks the end of a long process that accelerated over the past two years, after Riverhead Town moved to recover the property from the nonprofit Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall and later advanced a plan to transfer the theater to The Jazz Loft.
In a press release issued today, Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin called the closing the culmination of several years of work by town officials and The Jazz Loft.
“It’s an honor for me to be in the position to see the conclusion of this deal, but today’s closing is the culmination of several years of dedication and hard work put in by the Town Board, previous Supervisors Tim Hubbard and Yvette Aguiar, and The Jazz Loft,” Halpin said. “I have no doubt Tom and his team will devote themselves to restoring this once lively facility to its former glory.”
Thomas Manuel, founder and president of The Jazz Loft, said the organization is ready to begin restoring the theater and launching its next chapter as a cultural venue for Riverhead and the East End.
“I am incredibly grateful to my Board of Directors, the Riverhead Town Board, the current and past Town Supervisor, and especially the numerous residents and community leaders from Riverhead that have come on board to support The Jazz Loft and our vision for a renewed Vail-Leavitt theater,” Manuel said in the release. “This theater is a national historic treasure. We are eager to get to work and restore it to its former glory and begin its next chapter of bringing a vibrant cultural scene to the Town of Riverhead and the East End.”
Council Member Denise Merrifield, who strongly supported the proposal, said The Jazz Loft’s ownership will preserve the building while helping strengthen downtown Riverhead.
“The Jazz Loft is a renowned organization that’s dedicated to jazz education and preservation, while also attracting and showcasing performers playing various styles of music from big band, swing, jazz, Sinatra, and Rat-Pack era songs,” Merrifield said. “He will restore and preserve this venue and help drive economic prosperity to our downtown restaurants and shops. The Jazz Loft will culturally enrich our town for many years to come.”
The Vail-Leavitt’s history as a town asset dates back decades. Riverhead Town bought the building in 1980 and conveyed it in 1982 to the Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, a nonprofit created to restore and operate it as a performing arts center. But after the town sued in 2023 to recover the property under a reverter clause in the deed, control of the nonprofit and the building ultimately reverted to the town.
The Town Board later moved ahead with a plan to sell the property to The Jazz Loft. In December, then-Supervisor Tim Hubbard signed a contract of sale for $150,000 at the Vail Leavitt.
When the contract was signed, Manuel said The Jazz Loft planned to begin renovations after taking title and securing permits, with initial work expected to include roof and HVAC repairs. He also said the organization hoped to begin opening the space for community events during the restoration process.
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