First, Irvine Councilmember Tammy Kim wanted to continue a special Great Park board meeting to a later date. However, after four hours of public comment and council deliberation, she cast the deciding vote to end Irvine’s agreement with Live Nation to build an amphitheater in the heart of the Great Park.
Kim joined Councilmembers Larry Agran and Kathleen Treseder in throwing out the design, construction and operation agreement with events promoter and venue operator Live Nation Tuesday evening, July 25.
Related: Irvine and Live Nation to hash out Great Park concert venue plans
Instead, the City Manager Oliver Chi is now tasked with coming back to the City Council in 90 days with a process and timeline for an amphitheater in the Great Park that will have up to 10,000 seats and an in-house speaker system with no residential noise impacts.
The new proposed venue will not be managed by one promoter but rather by a third-party operator.
“The city of Irvine does not have a legal agreement with Live Nation,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “What we had at this point was council direction to negotiate with them exclusively and that particular process was undone by the council.”
“There is no financial penalty for making that decision,” he added.
Related links
Irvine and Live Nation to hash out Great Park concert venue plans
How Great Park residents will contribute $455 million to fund its next phase of development
Irvine council, Live Nation ink deal for permanent concert venue at Great Park
Irvine’s partnership with Live Nation for Great Park concert venue could be in jeopardy
Live Nation representatives, who were present at City Hall for the special meeting, declined to comment.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, the entertainment company had said in a statement that there is “a bright future ahead for live music in Irvine.”
“We have had many positive discussions over the last few months and shared our perspective gained from decades of experiencing operating amphitheaters in Irvine. We look forward to our continued collaboration,” Monday’s statement said.
Last year, after councilmembers first approved the agreement with Live Nation, the concert promoter eventually proposed an “extensive reconfiguration of the deal,” said Chi. Given the extensive changes to the council-approved agreement, Chi said, city staff could not approve the counter agreement.
Staffers then brought a proposal to the council in February, providing an alternative plan for a smaller, city-managed amphitheater.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
