THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994              TAG: 9412140139
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

PLANS BY GLOBAL AFFAIRS TO BUY ELKS LODGE ARE DELAYED

Global Affairs, the group that had a contract to buy the former Elks Lodge on London Boulevard, no longer is in business at that location.

Charles Sullivan, exalted ruler of Lodge 82, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, said the company had been ``locked out of the building.''

``We have not received any money from them since June,'' Sullivan said.

Global Affairs Inc. contracted in February to buy the building for about $600,000. The contract included a lease arrangement that permitted Global Affairs to operate in the building until the deal was closed.

The contract expired in May, Sullivan said, and a new contract was signed in June.

``We received $3,000 of the $10,000 down payment and they signed a 90-day note for the remainder,'' Sullivan said. ``We have received no rent money and no additional money on the down payment since June.''

Tim Martin, George and Mark Rivers, principals in Global Affairs, also have been operating Riverfront Cafe since last February.

``We hope to go back in there in January,'' Martin said Tuesday. ``We still plan to buy the building.''

Melvin Holland, one of the owners of Riverfront, said the group still is running the restaurant/night club in the Sea Board Railroad building formerly occupied by The Max.

Sullivan said the Elks had told Global Affairs they could re-open at the former lodge if they paid the money owed.

The property will be back on the market if the terms of the agreement with Global Affairs are not met, Sullivan said.

The Elks ceased operation of the building in November 1993 after running into financial difficulties. Sullivan said the group still meets in borrowed space but hopes to build a smaller lodge when the London Boulevard site is sold.

The building has the largest meeting spaces in the city.

The property, which includes 3.75 acres on an arm of Scotts Creek, has been pinpointed as a marina location in an economic development plan now being put together for the Downtown and Midtown areas of the city. by CNB