LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) The City of Los Angeles’ Rec and Parks Department has recommended that SMG get a 10-year renewal on its contract to manage the Greek Theatre rather than awarding a new contract to Oak View Group.
The Friday decision, first reported by Amplify, will likely end a battle for the Greek although the renewal still reportedly needs to be approved by the department’s board of directors. The decision, which Amplify portrayed as a trouncing, was based on a scoring of city staff that gave SMG 92.3 points versus OVG’s 78.3.
The renewal would be for five years with the option of a five-year extension. SMG originally received rights to manage the Greek after a bitter battle between its longtime promoter/operator, Nederlander, and spoiler Live Nation, with the latter originally receiving the new contract. However, a public uproar ultimately gave the contract to SMG, which would run the Greek as an open building.
Oak View Group, a facility management company run by Tim Leiweke, has been concentrating much of its efforts on a refurbishment of the the KeyArena in Seattle.
