by Andra Moss

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) came to Norfolk on Feb. 11 to tour Infinity Music Hall, a recipient of a Shuttered Venue Operator Grant (SVOG), and gather feedback to take back to Washington. The American Rescue Plan provided $16 billion nationally for the program, which is helping theaters, clubs and other arts venues heavily impacted by the coronavirus crisis to cover expenses such as payroll costs, rent, utilities and more.

David Rosenfeld of GoodWorks Entertainment, which owns and operates Infinity Hall in Norfolk and Hartford, and Lisa Ludwig, the general manager of Infinity Hall Norfolk, took Murphy through the building and then shared details on how the SVOG program had made it possible for them to reopen. The venue had been open only 11 months under GoodWork’s new ownership when the Covid-19 crisis forced it to shut its doors in March 2020. 

The GoodWorks team detailed how SVOG funds allowed them to pay food vendors and other creditors both during the shut-down and in advance of reopening. They also upgraded the hall’s sound and lighting system and revamped the kitchen to streamline and speed up service.

Murphy expressed support for Infinity’s ongoing efforts as audiences begin to return. He noted that independent, locally owned businesses are vital economic drivers for smaller communities, creating a multiplier effect that returns money to the local economy. He also, according to his Twitter feed, stopped for lunch at the Berkshire Store before heading to the Norfolk Curling Club, where he met and wished Paralympian Steve Emt well on his journey to China with the Team USA Wheelchair Curling Team.