Ybor City Residents Create Petition to Stop Live Nation's New Venue Proposal

Live Nation is once again moving in on a city’s music scene, receiving backlash from residents and business owners.

The entertainment giant has proposed to bring a 4,500-capacity venue to Ybor City, a neighborhood in Tampa, Florida. The proposed venue would be a part of the Gasworx project, a 6-million-square-foot mixed-use development aimed to “restore Ybor City to its rightful place as one of America’s truly great neighborhoods.”

According to Bay News 9, one lifelong Tampa resident shares concerns with the music venue and started a petition. In less than a week, the petition has garnered over 3,000 signatures.

“I do feel Ybor is the most special part of Tampa, both presently and historically,” Angel D’Angelo told Bay News 9. “I’d really like to see us sustain our local arts scene and small businesses that have been failing since the pandemic, and the gentrification, instead of investing in what some are calling a monopoly.”

Tom DeGeorge, the co-owner of Crowbar and the Southeast President of the National Independent Venue Association, told the publication that “the concern is corporate things coming into the market while independent locals get forced out of the market.” He said that event spaces like him are already suffering; after 25 years, he’s set to close the doors of Crowbar, and if Live Nation moves in, who knows who could be next.

“We need to do a better job when we have development of protecting those anchor businesses that support the businesses around them and care about supporting those businesses,” DeGeorge told Bay News 9.

Notably, Live Nation and Ticketmaster are at the forefront of an antitrust case, brought forth by the Department of Justice. A federal jury in New York found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable on multiple antitrust counts, including operating an anti-competitive monopoly and unlawfully tying together tour promotion, ticketing and venue operations. Now, the case is moving into a remedies phase following the monopoly verdict.

Before any plans are finalized, the City of Tampa will need to go through a series of public meetings and the permitting process, including a meeting with the Barrio Latino Commission on May 26.

Live Nation Florida Market President Brittany Flores told Spectrum News in a statement that “this venue is designed to complement existing venues, bringing more artists and fans to Ybor City while supporting local businesses and driving economic activity.”

“We’re continuing to meet neighbors to listen, share our vision, and ensure the project reflects the character and history that makes Ybor City so special,” Flores said.

This isn’t the first time Live Nation has moved in on a small music scene — nor the first time a community has fought back.

Live Nation is planning to bring a concert venue to Portland, Maine. Following the announcement, nearly two dozen live music spots in the city, organized by the Maine Music Alliance, drafted a petition, calling to end the proposed venue. The opposers said the new venue would be an “existential threat” to the local community, along with “downtown Portland as a whole.”

Portland, Oregon — one of the last larger cities in the U.S. that doesn’t have a venue owned by Live Nation — saw complaints from music fans across the city that the conglomerate would ruin Portland’s vibrant indie music scene. Fans also lashed out at the National Capital Commission after announcing it signed an offer to lease an agreement with Live Nation Canada to operate a new live music venue in downtown Ottawa.