TAMPA, Fla. — The future of a concert venue in Ybor City could take a major step forward Tuesday.
The venue could bring thousands of people to the area, but there are concerns about impacts on the area and Ybor City’s aesthetic.
Entertainment giant Live Nation wants to bring a new concert venue to Tampa’s Gasworx District would generate millions in economic impact and add around 400 new jobs. But small businesses and venues say the project would decimate them and negatively impact the historic feel of Ybor City.
Live Nation officials said there is space for both and they could support each other and bring more business and music fans to this district.
City officials have been cautious about the project, including delaying votes and holding a number of meetings, including Tuesday’s public hearing.
The proposed 4,300 venue would be located on north 15th Street and be part of the Gasworx development.
Those against the project argue a large, corporate-owned venue could change the character of Ybor City and make it harder for smaller, independent venues to survive.
Tampa resident Angel D’Angelo started a petition against the Live Nation venue earlier this year.
Initially, he had hoped to get 100 signatures. Now, his change.org petition has gathered more than 13,000.
“I think that my biggest concerns with these projects is it corporatizes a very, very unique character and tries to make it a brand when it really, it just cannot be sold and packaged in that way,” D’Angelo said. “It takes the small guy and turns it into this large venue that’s corporate, and there’s just no way you can replicate a local scene at a corporate level.”
And there’s another strong voice in the opposition.
Former Crowbar owner Tom DeGeorge spoke during a Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency meeting last week. He closed his bar earlier this year and became the president of Save our Stages Southeast Chapter.
DeGeorge said dozens of small music venues have closed because of encroachment by larger venues, including Live Nation. He said Live Nation now awaits a court punishment in New York state, where it and Tickemaster were found guilty of an illegal monopoly, pushing out competitors and spiking prices.
Councilman Luis Viera said he’d like the city to form an advisory council that would help prop up smaller venues. But how the city would do that exactly, whether it be marketing and advertising help, or more incentives, right now remains unknown.
If approved, Live Nation says it would have its new concert venue open by 2028.