PORTLAND (WGME) — The Portland City Council has approved extending the moratorium on large music venues.
The new rules were passed after Live Nation proposed building a 3,300-seat concert hall.
The proposed Portland music hall has faced significant resistance from Portland’s music community.
The council passed an initial moratorium last August.
In passing the extension, officials will have more time to debate whether to require a more substantial buffer between large music venues.
Other speakers pointed to an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation as evidence that the venue could hurt local businesses.
“A case brought by the Department of Justice is ongoing, in addition to the Federal Trade Commission investigating seven states where Live Nation and Ticketmaster colluded with the secondary ticket market to the detriment of consumers,” Scott Mohler of the Maine Music Alliance said.
The extended moratorium will run through September 4.
Monday night, the developer unsuccessfully argued the moratorium wasn’t necessary and unfair for a project that has followed all of the city’s zoning rules.