Regarding the Press Herald’s March 3 article, I am writing in opposition to the proposed Live Nation concert hall. My wife and I regularly go to concerts and events in Portland, and we are concerned that the out-of-state corporate ownership of this venue could do great financial harm to the existing venues and our local arts organizations.
This kind of development, by corporations with deep pockets, has the ability to extract money from our local economy rather than support it from within. As stated in the article the proposed venue would seat approximately 2,000 people, which puts it in direct competition with the Merrill Auditorium and the State Theatre. It would create additional parking issues and bring a heightened level of competition to our local arts organizations that provide a unique blend of artists and performances.
We don’t want an out-of-state monopolistic entity that will extract profits while it damages the character of our local arts scene. I urge the city of Portland to reject this project.
Tom Ahlers
Scarborough
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