Venue could be sweet music here
This whole idea is still probably a couple of years away, at least. At the moment, it’s just in the “possible” stage. But what a possibility it is for Fort Lauderdale and all of South Florida.
We’re talking about an outdoor music venue along the New River downtown, a venue that would host at least 50 free concerts per year.
These would be big events, with some big-time performers. Levitt Pavilions, which has worked with cities around the country, said it’s ready to work with the city of Fort Lauderdale and the local community to turn Esplanade Park next to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts into a destination for free concerts for up to 5,000 people.
And there could be as many as 50 free concerts per year, maybe more.
One more thing: the goal is to have private donors, not the city, come up with the money for this project. What’s not to like? On its website, Levitt currently touts a concert under the stars in Arlington, Texas, featuring Kenny Loggins. “Our concert calendar includes artists from all around the world and right in our own backyard, from jazz to hot Latin rhythms, home-grown country to Indie rock, and world music to fun, interactive children’s artists,” it says.
It sounds like something made for South Florida’s creative class.
“We don’t know what commitment is expected from the city. The devil is in the details,” City Commissioner Dean Trantalis told us. The outdoor venue being discussed would be in his district.
“In concept, it’s a great opportunity for the city. The purpose is to encourage free outdoor activities for people who might not be able to otherwise afford to attend cultural events. And it would activate the Riverwalk to another level.”
There is no decision yet to be made. All this talk is just in the talking stage. And for sure, not all cities welcome large festivals. Delray Beach, in fact, is cutting back on the number of large events that come to town, looking for quality over quantity. Also, the city was once considered for a Levitt Pavilion, but the effort died because of concerns about congestion along Atlantic Avenue.
Traffic congestion would not be an issue in Fort Lauderdale, Trantalis explained, because “we already have events there. We have a city parking garage there.”
Funding will be the major issue to make all this a reality.
“The majority of this needs to come from the private community,” added Courtney Crush, former chairwoman of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, who has volunteers to help organize the local private outreach.
Levitt says it can take three to five years to get a pavilion up and running. That allows plenty of time to line up fundraising and sort out the variety of issues — financial and otherwise — that would arise.
It is not an idea that should just be forgotten. For the cultural future of Fort Lauderdale and South Florida, lively riverfront programming is something to look forward to. And to hope for.