Astoria Isn’t History Yet
Although 20,000 have reportedly signed a petition to save London’s
Papers including The Guardian and various online news services have carried pieces saying new owners Derwent Valley might want to knock it down to build a shopping mall. But even if it’s true, it would be such a long and complicated process that the venue can hardly be considered to be in imminent danger.
The Astoria is on part of the site that Derwent Valley bought from Compco Holdings for £27.3 million. The deal was completed a couple of months ago, which may have prompted the current rash of stories saying acts such as
Because none have actually been quoted saying they’ll back any campaigns to save the venue, it’s possible their names were just pulled from a list of the top acts that have played the place.
It’s barely a year since Compco paid Delanceys a reported £12.2 million for the ground. The site was then said to be under threat because Railtrack would need it to develop a station – presumably above Tottenham Court Road tube station – on the proposed new rail link across the city. Bit it hasn’t been decided on what route that line will take.
The “Crossrail project” – as it was originally called – may well be on a government backburner somewhere, but it’s doubtful if it even has the political will to embark on a major development project, particularly with the Olympic building just beginning and the Dome disaster still rumbling on in the background.
The Astoria’s obviously safe as a venue while
Whoever owns the site in 2008, although it’s still likely to be Derwent Valley as it has similar squares on this part of the London property board, there doesn’t seem to be a plan on a drawing board that’s sufficiently developed to mean The Astoria would need to close even then.
Everything is up in the air,” Jeremy Joseph, promoter of the venue’s G-A-Y night, told The Guardian.
“I’m not going to worry about it at this stage,” he added, suggesting he’s certainly not seeing his string of world famous nights, which have featured
Live Nation’s Christine Gorham told the paper, “We have a long-term lease with them and we are very happy to operate from there and work with the owners of the actual building.
“We have no say as to what their plans are. Our aim is to provide the best possible entertainment for the consumer. We can’t get involved in other areas, especially when we are not the ones making the ultimate decision.”
– John Gammon
