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Historic Old Citadel for sale at $3.8M but The Starlite Room hopes to keep the music going

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Downtown’s historic Old Citadel is up for sale, with its owners hoping to keep their music venues, including The Starlite Room, going.

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Currently listed at $3.8 million on realtor.ca, the 10030 102 Street landmark brick structure was built for the Salvation Army for $39,000 in 1925.

The current list price does not include the businesses, just the building.

The 8,950-sq.-ft. space houses the tri-venue Starlite, Temple and basement restaurant River City Revival House — all of which co-owner Tyson Boyd hopes can operate under new building ownership.

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“The pandemic was really hard,” Boyd, 42, explains. “Things have not kind of happened in the way that we had hoped for.

“We fought tooth and nail to get through, but with cost of inflation, with tours not necessarily coming back to where they were pre-pandemic, the exchange is a big one — just the basic cost of touring.”

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He also notes alcohol and concession sales haven’t bounced either.

“Everything just accumulated and we haven’t been able to keep up, so these mounting debts continue. We tried to not particularly get to this position,” he says, “but we’re kind of forced to sacrifice one to save the other.”

Boyd notes that since word broke of the building sale his phone has been off the hook?reassuring people this is an attempt to hold on, not bail —?especially with sister music venue Soho on Jasper Avenue shutting its doors over the weekend.

“I’ve worked through a number of venue closures before,” says Boyd, “and it’s never gotten attention like this before.

“I kind of thought that we were quietly putting it on the market, and a handful of commercial real estate people would be aware, but it just kind of blew up and snowballed,” he laughs.

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Old Citadel sale
The Old Citadel building, home to Starlite Room and River City Revival House, is for sale. Postmedia file Photo by Shaughn Butts /Edmonton Journal

Despite its architectural and historic value, the building is not officially registered as a historic asset by either the city or the province —?though an outside plaque tells some of its story.

Boyd says it’s an extra expense to maintain the historic designation, noting, “The building is actually better protected under independent ownership.”

The fortress-like current concert hall was designed by local architect Magood and MacDonald, who also designed the since-demolished Tegler Building and St. Stephen’s College at U of A.

Its patterned brickwork, arched front entry and twin towers are unique in the city.

From 1966 to 1976, this was the original location of Citadel Theatre, where English actor John Neville joined as artistic director in 1973.

As music venue The Bronx, the space hosted 1991’s famous fledgling Nirvana show, as well as an early appearance of Green Day —?not to mention the infamous ’91 GWAR gig which stained the ceiling with fake blood for years afterwards as the spaces evolved into Rev Cabaret, Therapy and Lush as a focal point for the mainstreaming alternative and rave subcultures.

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It’s been The Starlite Room since 2004.

Notable bands playing the space over the years also include Feist, Metric, MGMT, Questlove, Pussy Riot, Run the Jewels, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, the smalls, SNFU and literally thousands more acts —?indeed, hundreds a year.

Boyd has been co-owner since 2017.

“Our hardest summer was this past year when the Oilers got into the playoffs, and that ran until June. There’s just all of these competing factors of the entertainment dollar that pulls away from one finger versus the other.”

While owning the building has often protected the venues in the past, “the whole dynamic has shifted.

“But,” Boyd says, “there’s a risk to everything. We’re in uncharted territory.

“We’re confident that it will happen — but what it looks like, we just don’t know.”

Recommended from Editorial
  1. The Starlite Room is getting a new restaurant, called River City Revival House.
    New restaurant, River City Revival House, to open in the Starlite Room
  2. Known by a variety of names over three decades, the Starlite Room celebrates its 30th anniversary on Saturday.
    Musical mainstay: Starlite Room celebrates 30th anniversary hosting shows

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