Aldermen OK incentives for Batavia comedy club

BATAVIA – Comedy lovers will be laughing all the way from the bank after an evening at The Comedy Vault.

Michael Knuth, owner of the EvenFlow entertainment venue in Geneva, plans to open his new venture in the historic Batavia National Bank building at 18 E. Wilson St.

But first, the building will require $250,000 in extensive interior renovations that are no laughing matter.

The Batavia City Council on Tuesday awarded Knuth a $25,000 grant and a $75,000 low-interest loan to help finance the work.

City Administrator Laura Newman said the city will use tax-increment finance district funds for the grant money as well as the loan, which is to be repaid over four years at 2% interest.

Plans for the club include a main floor seating space for 100 patrons. The large bank vault is to be transformed into the bar area.

The Comedy Vault will feature two shows a night on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with the space available for other activities on the remaining days of the week, Knuth said.

The building, which stands at the southwest corner of East Wilson and South River streets, is owned by Batavia businessman Michael Marconi.

“If it were solely the responsibility of the building owner to make the required build-out improvements for the comedy club, rent rates would be prohibitive,” Newman told the council.

“Consequently, these costs are being assigned to the tenant,” Newman said, explaining why the grant and loan are being provided to Knuth.

However, Marconi is expected to come before the council seeking a grant to help retrofit the building with fire sprinklers, which will be required for a space housing a large crowd of people.

Knuth’s EvenFlow is located in a former bank building at 302 W. State St., standing at the corner of State and Third streets in the heart of downtown Geneva.

Newman said Knuth’s plans include serving food catered in from EvenFlow as well as other local restaurants.

The bank building has been vacant since the last occupant, First State Bank of Batavia, moved out of the space this past summer. City officials believe the comedy club will attract patrons to other downtown Batavia businesses and restaurants.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this,” Newman told the council.