MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CelebrityAccess) — Live Nation and their local partners, FPC Live have taken another step forward in their plan to build two new live music venues in Milwaukee’s Deer District.
According to local CBS affiliate WDJT, the City’s common council on Tuesday approved a key zoning change, paving the way for the projects to move forward.
The venues, which will be located near the City’s existing Fiserv Forum and built under the same roof, will accommodate up to 4,000 people in the larger space with the second venue having room for 800 fans, WDJT reported.
“It’s not just gonna be music,” said Charlie Goldstone, president of FPC Live told WDJT. “It’s gonna be comedy, it’s gonna be special events, weddings, fundraisers, everything like that. The rooms are very flexible and versatile.”
According to the Milwaukee Record, some local venue owners have voiced concerns over the plans and Live Nation’s dominant position in the North American concert industry.
“The Live Nation proposal is a direct threat to the future of the Turner Hall Ballroom,” said Emilio De Torre, executive director of the Milwaukee Turners, said in a press release last summer. “Live Nation will be directly across the street from us. They want their artists and concert tours to appear at their venues, which cuts out the independent venues like us. This threatens our viability and very existence, which relies upon revenue from live concert performances.”
However, FPC/Live Nation plan has drawn support from other local organizations, including the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
“We’re thrilled about the addition of the two new music venues and the significant economic impact they will make to Milwaukee and the growth of Deer District,” Bucks President Peter Feigin told the Record in October. “These venues will contribute greatly to Milwaukee’s thriving and ever-growing music scene, and we’re thrilled for fans to experience even more live entertainment opportunities in the area.”
Construction on the proposed concert venues is expected to begin in 2023, with plans for an opening in early 2024.
