Silver Spring’s concert hall expected to be reality today

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SILVER SPRING, Md. (Map, News) - Montgomery County officials are expected to announce today the choice of Beverly Hills-based concert promoter Live Nation to fill the vacant J.C. Penney’s building in downtown Silver Spring to which they once tried to lure the Birchmere.

County officials would not say how much the deal is worth or when Live Nation could begin operations out of the site, a 29,000-square-foot building on Colesville Road. Executive Ike Leggett’s office has led the project. Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield would not confirm the deal, but Council Member George Leventhal told The Examiner that Live Nation was Leggett’s pick.

A Live Nation spokesman could not be reached and employees in their California office would not confirm details. The company is the world's largest promoter of concerts and has produced tours for Madonna, The Rolling Stones and U2, according to its Web site. It also owns, operates or has interest in 160 venues internationally, including the House of Blues and the Fillmore.

County officials have long said that they wanted a music venue to round out Silver Spring’s burgeoning downtown arts and entertainment district. Today’s announcement comes several months after the disintegration of negotiations with Alexandria-based Birchmere.

Not everyone appeared immediately pleased with the pick. Bethesda resident Seth Hurwitz, whose company I.M.P. owns the District of Columbia’s 9:30 Club and Howard County’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, sent a letter to Leggett and council members Monday expressing his interest in partnering with the county.

That letter was a “little too late in the game,” Lacefield said.

Hurwitz took the county to task, saying officials failed to reach out to him and never issued requests for proposals for the project. He said he has a meeting planned with Chief Administrative Officer Tim Firestine ,but did not know what would be discussed if his offer is too late.

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com

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