The Jazz Loft

The sale of Riverhead’s historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft is complete, clearing the way for restoration of the theater.

Riverhead Town on Tuesday inked a contract of sale with The Jazz Loft, agreeing to sell the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall for $150,000.

A 4–1 Town Board vote Tuesday cleared the way for The Jazz Loft to purchase and restore the historic Vail-Leavitt Music Hall.

At a “qualified and eligible sponsor” hearing Thursday, The Jazz Loft presented its qualifications for buying, restoring and operating the historic Vail-Leavitt in downtown Riverhead.

A hearing to determine whether a Stony Brook-based nonprofit performing arts organization is a “qualified and eligible sponsor” for purposes of buying, renovating and operating the historic Vail-Leavitt Theater has been scheduled for Oct. 16 at 4 p.m.

Riverhead Town will move forward with its plan to sell and restore the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall through a partnership with The Jazz Loft, despite a last-minute appeal from another suitor asking the Town Board to reconsider.

A divided Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday took the first step toward selling the historic and blighted Vail-Leavitt Music Hall to The Jazz Loft.

Riverhead Town Board members heard two pitches Thursday from groups interested in buying, renovating and operating the historic Vail Leavitt Music Hall downtown.