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GREENSBORO -- The sign above the door advertises the building’s former occupant, a company called Envision.

Sometime this summer, it will display the name of its new owner: Triad Stage.

The nonprofit professional theater has bought the building at 1724 Holbrook St. for its scene shop.

In this 30,000-square-foot structure, Triad Stage will construct and store sets, costumes and props for the theater that it owns and operates downtown at 232 S. Elm St.

The Holbrook Street property, less than a block from the Greensboro Coliseum, had been in foreclosure. Triad Stage purchased it for $400,000 from RBC Bank.

“It’s a terrific building, and it’s going to improve our operations significantly,” said Richard Whittington, Triad Stage managing director.

Donors have pledged enough to cover the purchase price, Whittington said. Because pledges will be paid over time, NewBridge Bank has provided financing.

Since Triad Stage opened 10 years ago, it had used city-owned space on Swing Road for its scene shop, sharing the building with a police substation.

Sets and costumes were built there, then trucked more than eight miles to the theater.

The city charged only $1 annual rent. The City Arts Drama Center donated props and scenery from its shows, then shared the space, costumes and props without charge.

Triad Stage also offered scenery-building services, props, costumes and backdrops to other performing groups.

Last summer, Triad Stage learned that the police department needed the Swing Road space to expand operations. It will house police logistics, the crime scene investigation program, an expanded evidence area, and perhaps some special operations, Assistant City Manager Mike Speedling said.

So Triad Stage set out to find another space. It considered leasing, but decided that buying a building was a better investment and solution, Whittington said.

The sale became final Wednesday, and Triad Stage began moving in.

“I am thrilled that we had donors step up to help us avert what could have been a real threat to our operations,” Whittington said.

He is particularly pleased that the building is just over two miles from the downtown theater, much closer than the Swing Road shop.

But operating costs will increase significantly.

The building sat empty for two years, and its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system doesn’t work.

Triad Stage is now trying to raise $200,000 to cover those repairs and other improvements.

Whittington is negotiating to continue its scene shop relationship with the City Arts Drama Center.

Drama Center Director Stephen Hyers said that it needs the space for building sets and storage, starting in the fall to create its set for “An Evening of Short Plays.”

Whittington hopes that other arts groups also would use the space and continue to rent its inventory at nominal fees. “We are going to try to keep the operation close to what we were doing before,” he said.

Although finding another scene shop location was an unanticipated challenge, Whittington is pleased with the solution.

“Long term, it sets up Triad Stage to have more control over its destiny and its operations by owning our own performance facility and our technical support facility,” he said.

Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 373-5204 or dawn.kane@news-record.com