Portland Music Hall | Cumberland Avenue

As usual the voices against anything in life are louder than the voices for anything even thought a majority of the comments were positive for the music hall. Obviously, most competing venues are going to be against a state of the art facility due to their own survival and true to form the PPH loves to stir things up and pounce on any negativity in order to create drama and division. Cross Insurance Arena, 8000 capacity: Portland Music Hall, 3300 capacity: Merrill Auditorium, 1900 capacity: State Theater, 1600 capacity: Aura, 1000 capacity. Promoters and performers know their ticket selling limitations and book whatever venue fits their needs and the proposed music hall fills a perfect niche in the Portland market.
 
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The loud minority continues to delay social, economic, and overall progress. Look at this example, Washington Ave project, or even the Jetport… TENS of “neighbors” from far and wide come to shoot down or delay projects like these. In reality 97% of people are in support of these changes to better our communities in some way shape or form. Unfortunately the loud 1-3% show up to complain and delay progress
 
The voices are the other venues that are falling in disrepair. All have gotten bad reputations regarding loading docks, catering, and dressing rooms. The owner of the State is a multi-million-dollar company that runs other venues in other states. The CIA is run by another multi-million-dollar company that runs other venues in other states. Then you have the City of Portland, do I say more that owns Merrill. Aka falling down ceiling and a loading area that's an embarrassment. Let's look at the Theatre District in Boston and the other music venues that put-on shows. Each has its own niche. The PSO is not going next door. Did you know that the PSO put a stop to the Boston POPs coming to Portland during the holidays because it would cut into their profit, even though the majority of the orchestra comes from the BSO and the POPs. If these venues had top notch facilities, then maybe I would be in support. I never seen such a city calling the kettle black.
 
PWMFlyer said:
The voices are the other venues that are falling in disrepair. All have gotten bad reputations regarding loading docks, catering, and dressing rooms. The owner of the State is a multi-million-dollar company that runs other venues in other states. The CIA is run by another multi-million-dollar company that runs other venues in other states. Then you have the City of Portland, do I say more that owns Merrill. Aka falling down ceiling and a loading area that's an embarrassment. Let's look at the Theatre District in Boston and the other music venues that put-on shows. Each has its own niche. The PSO is not going next door. Did you know that the PSO put a stop to the Boston POPs coming to Portland during the holidays because it would cut into their profit, even though the majority of the orchestra comes from the BSO and the POPs. If these venues had top notch facilities, then maybe I would be in support. I never seen such a city calling the kettle black.
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Yeah, I don't know why the PSO is getting involved, unless it's what you implied (that the Pops could come do a Christmas show at the new theater and cut into their main revenue generator).
 
I kind of visit stadiums and arenas and music venues all over the country for my work, so I have some perspective on this. Portland does not have a music venue to fit the needs for today's customers and acts. Period.

1. Cross Insurance Arena.... lousy for sound and F&D offerings, but good on logistics and great on capacity.
2. Aura... great for sound, intimacy, F&D, new logistics, new tech, but tiny capacity.
3. Merrill... great for sound, intimacy, not bad for capacity, but bad for F&D and logistics.
4. State... average for sound, okay on intimacy, okay for capacity, bad for F&D and logistics.
5. Thompson's Point, good for capacity though no seating, good intimacy, logistics, good F&D, but seasonal.
6. Expo? Lol.

Best idea fix that would not be a ton of money? Cross Insurance Arena... Install acoustical panels that can be lowered from the rafters at the half-end of the south part with the VIP sections. Remove some seating and blast out some concrete to install two large standing bars with giant view screens. It would eliminate about 600 seats but that would be offset with patron standees and bar tops extending back into the existing F&D areas. Carpet this entire area for a cozy feel. Cost? Maybe $3-5 million, but well worth it. So, in effect, the venue seating for music acts at this half end of the building is cut in half, or around 4,000 when using seats on the floor (possible to push it back some more to total 4,500 seats). CIA will never be a viable music venue as is. F&D offerings are the big money maker for venues now. But people don't want to experience that in a boring place. They also don't have to be close to the stage if they are eating and drinking from a bar-like setting with giant screens to see what is going on up close. Fun option: build a killer dressing room area for the act/s. Something higher up with views of the city. Cost: 1.5 to 2 million, but well worth it. They will want to come back.
 
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A developer is currently proposing a $6oo million dollar project that includes housing, hotel, 1200 space garage, casino, and 3500 capacity for the Hampton Beach Casino...
 
TC_zoid said:
I kind of visit stadiums and arenas and music venues all over the country for my work, so I have some perspective on this. Portland does not have a music venue to fit the needs for today's customers and acts. Period.

1. Cross Insurance Arena.... lousy for sound and F&D offerings, but good on logistics and great on capacity.
2. Aura... great for sound, intimacy, F&D, new logistics, new tech, but tiny capacity.
3. Merrill... great for sound, intimacy, not bad for capacity, but bad for F&D and logistics.
4. State... average for sound, okay on intimacy, okay for capacity, bad for F&D and logistics.
5. Thompson's Point, good for capacity though no seating, good intimacy, logistics, good F&D, but seasonal.
6. Expo? Lol.

Best idea fix that would not be a ton of money? Cross Insurance Arena... Install acoustical panels that can be lowered from the rafters at the half-end of the south part with the VIP sections. Remove some seating and blast out some concrete to install two large standing bars with giant view screens. It would eliminate about 600 seats but that would be offset with patron standees and bar tops extending back into the existing F&D areas. Carpet this entire area for a cozy feel. Cost? Maybe $3-5 million, but well worth it. So, in effect, the venue seating for music acts at this half end of the building is cut in half, or around 4,000 when using seats on the floor (possible to push it back some more to total 4,500 seats). CIA will never be a viable music venue as is. F&D offerings are the big money maker for venues now. But people don't want to experience that in a boring place. They also don't have to be close to the stage if they are eating and drinking from a bar-like setting with giant screens to see what is going on up close. Fun option: build a killer dressing room area for the act/s. Something higher up with views of the city. Cost: 1.5 to 2 million, but well worth it. They will want to come back.
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To be fair, the Merrill is not the type of venue where the audience is expecting F&D offerings at all.
 
It depends on the event at Merrill. There is a lack of F&D at the facility which if offered in the right way could bring in a lot of revenue. But the city is so shortsighted that it misses opportunities. For example, I go to symphony hall to go see the POPs, there is a large room where wine, mixed drinks, and beer is served. Tables and chairs are provided. It just adds a little ambience. When a concert or a comedian is at the Merrill, the line is up the stairs as well as the 2nd floor closet as a bar with minimal choices.
 
PlantArch said:
To be fair, the Merrill is not the type of venue where the audience is expecting F&D offerings at all.
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Disagree. It's no longer simply old people going to see classical music there. Some of the Broadway tour shows they have featured are immensely popular with teenagers, or young women. If you remember, I discussed in this blog the back-to-back Taylor Swift concerts at NRG in Houston last year, with a sangria cocktail offering that came in a plastic reflective disco ball with straw. They sold 20,000 at $40 each. The gross on that? $800,000. It's a different world today.
 
PWMFlyer said:
It depends on the event at Merrill. There is a lack of F&D at the facility which if offered in the right way could bring in a lot of revenue. But the city is so shortsighted that it misses opportunities. For example, I go to symphony hall to go see the POPs, there is a large room where wine, mixed drinks, and beer is served. Tables and chairs are provided. It just adds a little ambience. When a concert or a comedian is at the Merrill, the line is up the stairs as well as the 2nd floor closet as a bar with minimal choices.
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There is no space outside of the auditorium to offer F&D and it would be inappropriate to allow it inside.
 
PlantArch said:
There is no space outside of the auditorium to offer F&D and it would be inappropriate to allow it inside.
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And so that's why it's a somewhat failed space for shows and will continue to be. Haven't you noticed nearly everyone today is overweight? Most want to continually eat and drink to medicate their sorrows away. Okay then, so make money from it.
 
After watching the first 40 minutes of public comment on the 25th, then seeing all the passively negative media surrounding the proposed 3,300 seat venue, we see yet again that it’s the loud minority who is heard all over the place.

I tallied who spoke for and who spoke against the proposal and it’s just who you would imagine…
FOR- Small businesses, local restaurants, local boutique hotels, Greater Portland Landmarks, Residents of Portland, residents of surrounding towns/cities.
AGAINST- Residents of Portland, residents of surrounding towns/cities, and three other venue representatives (Merrill, state, and blue).

I’ll let you all watch it or make your determinations as to why these people were for or against the development, but let’s just say, the arguments for “for” were civil, professional, and efficiently presented. The arguments against contained threats, yelling, whining, while having some solid points, but for the most part it was unprofessional.

The point the group makes about this gap between Merrill at 1,800 seats and CIA at ~7,000 that drives up-and-coming artists away from Portland due to their lack of a 3,000 or so seat venue makes complete sense!
 
So, no one brings up the fact that the State Theatre uses Ticketmaster which is owned by Livenation. Where does everyone park for the State Theater? They disrupt traffic when hosting a show on High Street. The artist community sometimes lack knowledge and it's hard to make an argument or a Suggestion. Do they know that they support a multimillion-dollar corporation at the State? We had a concert the other night at the CCCC/CIA Dierks Bentley, we used Aura as the VIP lounge for the acts, so it's possible to use multiple venues. Portland House of Music is also owned by the State Theatre. So, let's think outside the box, when the concert gets out at the Venue/live nation, have an Afterhours party at the PHOM? or Aura, etc. Does Bissell Brothers on the Point complain about the concerts? no they open up after and host an Afterhours Concert party after the concert gets out. Why is it so hard to think outside the box? My fellow stagehands, catering, etc are looking forward to a "Real Venue" that has catering and a loading dock.
 
This concerns me that we are setting a bad precedent in Portland. If the promotor was not Live nation, would this happen?
Advocacy Alert: Portland City Council to Vote on Retroactive Moratorium on Monday​
On Monday, April 28th, at 5:00PM the Portland City Council will hold a public hearing and vote on a proposal from Councilors Anna Bullett and Wesley Pelletier to apply a retroactive moratorium against theatre and performance hall projects.

The moratorium is designed to halt the Planning Board progress on a site plan application to construct a 3,000 person performing arts venue on Cumberland Avenue in Downtown Portland. While we have not taken a position on the underlying site plan application, we are always against City Council actions that attempt to retroactively rewrite ordinances in an effort to kill specific development proposals.

Why This Matters to Portland's Business Community

Undermines the Integrity of ReCode—a Product of Years of Community Engagement: The Chamber strongly supported the City's comprehensive overhaul of its land use code, known as ReCode, which was adopted in November 2024 following a seven-year, community-driven process. The proposed moratorium calls into question the Council's commitment to the very policies and standards adopted just months ago, particularly around issues like parking and entertainment dispersal. ReCode deliberately eliminated parking minimums and retained long-standing distance buffers for entertainment venues after extensive study and public input. Reopening these settled issues undercuts Portland's ability to follow through on policy reforms.

Retroactivity Threatens Confidence in Portland's Development Process: Most alarming is the proposed retroactive application of the moratorium to projects that submitted applications in reliance on the new ReCode. Retroactivity introduces significant legal and financial uncertainty and signals to developers—whether they are building housing, offices, or entertainment venues—that Portland's rules may shift unpredictably. Such a message is not conducive to attracting the quality development and growth we need to sustain a healthy community.

Investment Deterrence Has Broader Impacts on Jobs and Tax Base: Changing rules mid-stream erodes investor trust and risks scaring off future projects that contribute to Portland's economy and property tax base. Commercial and residential developers alike require clarity and stability to justify major capital investments. Moratoria that are reactive and retroactive send the wrong message to employers and entrepreneurs considering Portland as a place to grow.

How You Can Be Heard

The Chamber urges the City Council to reject the proposed moratorium. Portland must remain a city where thoughtful planning efforts like ReCode are honored, not undermined. We believe that existing land use policies and site plan review processes provide the necessary tools to evaluate projects on their merits, including their impact on traffic, parking, and public safety.

Please help us send a clear signal that Portland is a city that welcomes growth, honors its own planning processes, and ensures predictability for those who seek to invest in our city. It is critical that the City Council hears from the public on this matter and your voice will make a difference.

Attend the Public Hearing: The public hearing is in-person only at Portland's City Hall on Monday, April 28th, at 5:00PM. When this item comes up on the agenda, any member of the public will be invited to provide up to three minutes of public comment. There is no need to register in advance, just show up at the hearing, provide your name, and give any remarks you wish to share with the City Council.

Email the City Council: If you cannot attend the public hearing, but still want to share thoughts with the City Council, we urge you to email councilors. You can email them by sending your thoughts to publiccomment@portlandmaine.gov by noon on Monday, April 28th.

Please contact our Director of Advocacy at edundon@portlandregion.com if you would like additional information on this matter.​
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I think the bad precedent was set when The Stadium wanted to become a Hooters and a whole segment of city cognoscenti went into a tizzy.
 
I'm not super close to the LiveNation proposal at all, but with the performance hall application already having been initially reviewed by city planning, how can the proposed moratorium be squared with the new statutory vesting rights provisions in LD 772?

edit - after reading the LD text, looks like it vests housing only. So, this would be fair game for getting the rugged pulled out from under it.
 
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A retroactive moratorium is -at best- legally dubious. The City is ignoring its own rules regarding pending proceeding status for applications. Normally once an application has been to the Planning Board it has pending proceeding.

But I guess "Moratorium everything we don't like" has become the new mantra of the City Council.
 
I am surprised that Corporation Council has not realized about LD 772? if this was built in South Portland at the Mall, would there be the same outrage from the State Theatre and Ovations? if this is just about Livenation then the State Theatre must give up using Ticketmaster... just saying
 
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