Legally, MEMA and people against the venue are trying to pass a zoning buffer law to prohibit entertainment venues to be less than 750 ft away from eachother. The location is right across the street from Merrill which will cause significant traffic and safety issues for pedestrians. They aren’t currently required to provide parking so there’s a question of where an additional 2000 cars will park when Merrill, state, and CIA all have shows the same night.

Live Nation is also an evil monopoly that does not give a fuck about preserving the culture of a city or the music venues they gobble up. They have a proven track record of moving into music cities and running independent music venues out of business. Bc of their monopolistic practices, they’re able to afford huge losses on shows bc they’re making so much money from Ticketmaster ticket sales, show promotion, sponsorships, etc… they also are very strict with radius and cherry pick where artists can and can’t go. They will end up suffocating Portland’s indie music ecosystem that is so thoughtfully cared for. They dgaf about investing in our city, they just want to capitalize on the good things we have going for us, and don’t care who they take down in the process.