Sure, MoCo exec Ike Legget can negotiate with anyone to get a concert venue built on Colesville Road. But new county council prez Mike Knapp won’t let Leggett forget that the council holds the purse strings.
At his Monday media briefing in Rockville, Knapp said he and other council members didn’t know the details of Leggett’s negotiations with Live Nation, or if a recently signed lease would give the county its biggest bang for the buck. The full council is scheduled to get the straight dope from Leggett’s office Tuesday afternoon.
But Knapp was clear on one thing: The council had the power to block necessary appropriations or zoning changes if they caught a whiff of anything funky in the Live Nation agreement.
A $2 million appropriation from the county still hangs in the balance, as does a matching hit from Annapolis. That money would go towards building the venue on the former JC Penney site. Zoning laws also must be tweaked to move forward with construction, according to Gary Stith, Silver Spring’s regional director.
Knapp expects plenty of questions regarding the Fillmore at Wednesday night’s town-hall meeting in downtown Silver Spring. He’s already received letters from the deal’s critics, though most were form letters from supporters of IMP, another concert promoter.
The Institute for Independent Music, which favored IMP’s open bid for the venue, rolled an email campaign late last year, encouraging the county to reconsider its closed negotiations with Live Nation. Bethesda resident Seth Hurwitz, who runs IMP and owns The District’s 9:30 Club, also unleashed a media campaign to gain residents’ favor.
However, Knapp admitted he didn’t have a good grip on how Silver Spring’s residents felt about the deal. Most comments were directed at council members from Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and not at Knapp, an upcounty Democrat.
“I’d be curious to see if there’s support there,” he said.
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Boxed wines and rosés are back in vogue. Just ask The Penguin's sommeliers.
Good to know someone’s keeping an eye on Ike’s late night, behind the scenes, back alley deal making.
Isn’t Montgomery County in the red like around $40 million? Taxpayers should keep pressure on the Council.
Yes, taxpayers should keep pressure on the council… Not IMP for their own nefarious reasons.
i’d like to know the outcome of the meeting.
Editor’s note: Don’t worry, Niko. The Penguin will hook you up with all the nasty details. — JD (Jan 29, 2008)
At first I was opposed to the way Mr. Leggett handled the Birchmire/Fillmore switch. But now I admit that Ike Leggett did the right thing. The “democratic way” will keep things in limbo…forever, like the purple line. Also, and I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it is my understanding that nobody is getting 8 million dollars except MoCo, for the express purpose of building the venue, which they will rent out at MoCo rents and charge Moco & MD taxes on. All the site is doing now is breeding rats,(including some holding political office). I’m for it. Lets Rock.
I strongly believe that downtown Silver Spring could benefit from a cultural institution such as the Fillmore. It will bring a demographic that enjoys eating at Silver Spring restaurants and shopping at Silver Spring shops. AFI, Fillmore, Discovery Networks as well as other institutions will keep Silver Spring an enjoyable place to live.