1 week Ago
A rendering of the proposed Portland Music Hall, a 3,300-seat venue planned for the corner of Cumberland Avenue, on the left, and Myrtle Street, on the right. Image courtesy of Leonardo Ruben Merlos The Portland City Council tonight will consider pausing the development of large theaters and performance halls, potentially hindering a pending application for a 3,300-seat concert venue next to Merrill Auditorium. Real estate developer Mile Marker Investments and music giant Live Nation applied in December to build the Portland Music Hall at the corner of Myrtle Street and Cumberland Avenue.
The Portland Planning Board held a workshop on the project in March but has not yet taken a vote. Dozens of people spoke at that meeting, and most raised concerns about the impact on existing local venues and downtown traffic. Now, City Councilors Wes Pelletier and Anna Bullett have proposed a 180-day moratorium on new theaters and performance halls with a capacity of more than 2,000.
It would be retroactive to Dec. 1 and would likely freeze the application for the Portland Music Hall. Pelletier, who represents District 2, said his constituents have been reaching out to him with concerns and questions about that project.
It was a “wake-up call,” he said. “Personally, I don’t see an outcome in which a 3000-capacity venue, next to another large venue like Merrill, does not create regular traffic gridlock in an already busy part of town,” Pelletier said. “This will strain the city’s resources and burden neighbors and workers.
Purely in the interest of self-preservation, I’d like to avoid having my constituents idling in traffic, looking for someone to blame, and seeing City Hall outside of their window.” But he said the moratorium is not specifically targeted at this single application. The draft order says the city should review and possibly amend the land use code to address concerns related to large entertainment venues.
“What myself and Councilor Bullett are proposing is for Council to tap the brakes, look at our ordinances and land use code, and try to be intentional about placement of large entertainment developments like this one,” he said. Bullett, who represents District 4, did not respond to an email or a voicemail on Friday. Asked about the potential moratorium on Friday, a spokesperson for Live Nation shared a written statement from Ryan Vangel, president of Live Nation New England.
“We’re excited to build a great new entertainment venue that will expand the music scene in Portland,” Vangel said. “Our team remains actively engaged with stakeholders, neighbors and city officials to ensure that the plan incorporates their feedback. When the city enacted ReCode after two years of community engagement, it created a thorough process for venues like Portland Music Hall.
We’re committed to this process and hope it will be allowed to work as intended.” The company also shared a letter that outlines an agreement with Muger Enterprises to offer discounted parking and longer hours at two parking garages in Portland. The letter says the new nighttime event rate would benefit multiple venues, not just the Portland Music Hall.
Todd Goldenfarb, who is the managing director at Mile Marker Investments and based in Scarborough, did not respond to an email or a voicemail on Friday. The Portland Planning Board held a workshop on the proposal for a new music venue in front of a crowded room on March 25. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald Arts organizations such as the State Theatre and Portland Ovations have led the opposition to the project, arguing that Live Nation would cannibalize the local music scene.
They point to an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation as evidence that the proposal would harm independent venues. “I think the City Council approving a moratorium to press pause on new development, while they assess the needs of responsible growth for Portland, is a wise move,” Aimée Petrin, executive and artistic director of Portland Ovations, wrote in an email. The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce opposed the moratorium in an email blast on Friday.
The group said the proposal would call into question the land use code that was just updated in November . “While we have not taken a position on the underlying site plan application, we are always against City Council actions that attempt to retroactively rewrite ordinances in an effort to kill specific development proposals,” the email said. In November, the Portland City Council also approved a moratorium on hotel development, which is still in effect.
The City Council will meet on Monday at 5 p.m. at City Hall.
For information about how to submit public comment or join the meeting remotely, visit portlandmaine.gov . Developers propose new 3,300-seat music venue in downtown Portland Proposed Live Nation venue draws crowd to Portland Planning Board workshop Proposed Live Nation venue draws opposition from Portland arts organizations We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers.
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