There’s a new twist in drama over L.A.’s Greek Theatre

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A long fight between rival concert promoters for control of the Greek Theatre still hasn’t been resolved – and now the city of L.A. might just operate the venerable venue on its own.

The Board of Recreation and Parks has backed a plan for the city to do just that for two years – until the competition between long-time Greek operator Nederlander and upstart Live Nation can be resolved, or perhaps forever.

Backers of the plan, say the city could more than double the roughly $2 million it earns from the Greek annually by running the theater itself.greek2

For those who haven’t been keeping score at home, here’s a little background: After a spirited lobbying campaign, the Board of Recreation and Parks voted last year to let Live Nation take over the Greek Theatre, following the recommendation of an independent panel. But Nederlander appealed, with the backing of Los Feliz residents who said they feared Live Nation would not be sensitive to their concerns about noise, traffic and profits. The City Council accepted the appeal and asked the Parks Department to start over. That’s when it came up with Plan C.

greek3Under the proposal backed by the Parks Board, the city would have limited responsibilities: Promoters would be responsible for managing and paying bands and advertising concerts. The plan also calls for setting aside some revenue to maintain and repair the iconic Griffith Park theater.

Recreation and Parks officials are now supposed to return to the Board with a more detailed blueprint for the city to run the venue. Stay tuned…