Negotiations to bring the Birchmere to Silver Spring died in July. Now everyone’s claiming paternity to the orphaned $2 million state grant. Who’s the baby’s daddy? That’s up to the state legislature, Del. Heather Mizeur says.
The problem over who gets the money, which would have gone to constructing a Birchmere nightclub on Colesville Road, is embedded in the state budget’s verbiage, the District 20 Dem explained.
“The language specifically states that the money is to be used by the Montgomery County council and county executive for the Birchmere music hall,” Mizeur wrote in an email to The Penguin.
With the Birchmere opting for new digs in Prince George’s County, and Live Nation’s Fillmore setting up shop in downtown Silver Spring, no one can access the money until the state legislature can “reprogram the money to a different project,” Mizeur said.
Those changes won’t happen until the next legislative session, which starts in January 2008, Mizeur added.
“Because the funds were intended to promote economic development in Silver Spring (and not specifically to benefit the Birchmere), I think it makes the most sense for that money to stay here in Montgomery County,” she argued.
Former MoCo exec Doug Duncan would beg to differ. On Thursday, he told The Washington Post that the money belonged in PG County, where the Birchmere would be. Duncan currently works for the University of Maryland, which is the Birchmere’s new landlord in College Park.
Senate president Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, a PG County Dem and Terp alumnus, agreed with Duncan. The money, he told The Post, “is going to be for the Birchmere, and it’s going to be located in Prince George’s County.”
However, Mizeur said the District 20 delegation would work to convince its legislative colleagues that Silver Spring deserved the money.
“In the end, I’m confident that live music is on its way to downtown Silver Spring,” Mizeur concluded.
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Ya know… I liked Doug for the short time that my MoCo residency overlapped his… I know he’s just doing his job now… but man…. the argument seems absurd… if anyone had asked the legislature “Will you give the birchmere $2M in funding” with no other caveats it would been a pretty quick no… I thought it was pretty obvious that it was for silver spring’s revitalization, not “for the birchmere”… alas… that coulda used some more careful wording.
The fact is that the County used the Birchmere’s name to sell the project to the state legislature. If the County didn’t sell the Birchmere’s name and reputation to the legislature, they wouldn’t have gotten the funds. So….now MoCo is in a true pickle. Be careful what you lobby for.
The bigger point of interest, of course, is that taking away this taxpayer subsidy will probably kill this deal. Isn’t that a bit strange, considering the Live Nation could afford to cover the difference, what with generating 2.8b in sales. Maybe they don’t want to be here as much as we think they do. Otherwise, maybe LN should just cut this off at the pass, and pony up the dough. After all, they stand to make millions from this deal…
Quick update for you:
I’m in Annapolis on state business today and just spoke with one of my colleagues who is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. I was relieved that this colleague concurs that the General Assembly’s decision to fund this project was based on an argument of ongoing economic revitalization for downtown Silver Spring; not funding tied to a specific venue operator. This colleague also mentioned that because Montgomery County has already committed its county matching funds to leverage the state assistance, it would be highly unlikely for mutliple reasons for this money not to stay in our County.
Editor’s note: Thanks for the update, Del. Mizeur! Let’s hope this issue, and the necessary liquor license, don’t keep the good times from rocking Silver Spring. — JD (Oct 1, 2007)
Dear Delegate Mizeur, and other Penguin readers:
MoCo needs to release its death grip on the sale of liquer and granting of liquer licenses. The county run stores are vastly inferior to private runs stores in D.C. and Virginia. It is ridiculous that supermarkets like Fresh Fields are not allowed to sell and beer and wine. It is also ridiculous that a wine cellar/restaurant like Adega cannot serve wine to its customers who sit outdoors.
I am not advocating that MoCo become a mecca for drunks; however, all one need do is visit a civilized place like New York City to realize that allowing adults to buy and drink alcohol responsibly, and enjoy drinks at outdoor cafes, enhances the social life of the community and, most importantly, treats adults like adults.