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LN Drops Oakdale Grant Request For Now
Live Nation is shelving efforts to obtain a grant to pay part of the cost of soundproofing a section of the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Conn., until a later date.
Jim Koplik, president of Live Nation Connecticut and Upstate New York, said in a statement March 22 that Connecticut’s financial problems prevent the company from pursuing the grant at this time.
“The Oakdale Theatre is unique in that it does not receive continuing State subsidies,” Koplik said. “Other venues obtain generous subsidies for both capital expenditure and even funds to defray operating costs. I served several years as a member of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and participated in awarding many such sizeable grants to venues throughout the State.”
State Rep. Mary Mushinsky told the New Haven Register that Live Nation’s decision is reasonable as the company is working towards making the Oakdale Theatre exempt from a state admissions tax so it can be competitive with other venues in the state.
Live Nation’s quest for grant help stems from last summer’s complaints about noise coming from concerts held under the Oakdale Dome, which is the lobby for the main theater. The Wallingford Planning and Zoning Commission and Live Nation officials were able to reach a compromise that resulted in a cease-and-desist order being lifted and some of the noise concerns being addressed, the Register said.