Friday, January 18, 2008

fillmore is here to stay (updated)

The Fillmore, a nationwide chain of music clubs owned by promoter Live Nation, signed a lease today with Montgomery County to open a new branch on Colesvile Road. Renderings courtesy of Hickok Cole Architects.
"I still think it was a rip-off and we could have done better." - Councilman Marc Elrich (D-At Large)
In Saturday's Post, Councilmembers Elrich and Praisner wonder if the County - which already owns Strathmore in North Bethesda and the BlackRock Center in Germantown, among other arts venues - can or should hold the title to another facility, especially one that'll be run by a corporate entity with their own ideas about how the space should be used. (After all, Ike Leggett said he likes Michael Bolton . . . but will Live Nation book him if he can't fill a room?)

From a Montgomery County press release issued today:
"Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett announced today that Montgomery County and Live Nation have reached agreement on a lease that will create a dynamic new music, entertainment, and community use venue in downtown Silver Spring, a move that will dramatically bolster economic development and the music scene for that community and the County as a whole . . .

"The State of Maryland and Montgomery County will contribute $4 million each – for a total $8 million in public investment -- toward the cost of building the facility, which will be owned by the County.

Live Nation will not receive any County or State funding."
Months of controversy, neighborhood complaints, a contentious counter-bid from the owner of the 9:30 Club and a budget crisis could not stop The Fillmore from signing a lease for the old J.C. Penney Building on Colesville Road. Check out the rest of the press release at the County's website.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

FINALLY!
If AFI Silver, Discovery, and The Fillmore work together (as AFI & Discovery do now), living in Downtown Silver Spring is going to rock even more.

Anonymous said...

Marc Elrich must eat sour pickles for breakfast. He thinks every other politician but him is no good. How does he get anything done?

Anonymous said...

I don't know enough to assess if this is a good or bad deal, but in a county with a history of shoveling out taxpayers money to big big corporations, I'm glad Elrich is skeptical.

Anonymous said...

I can't find the still right now, but this design reminds me a lot of the warehouse in Xanadu...