18 hours ago
Scoop: City gives Allianz Amphitheater control of public lot during concerts
The city is leasing the Belle Isle parking lot it co-owns to Allianz Amphitheater and Live Nation for its use during concerts.
Why it matters: The lease terms make the 60 public and free spaces unavailable for the public's use from 1pm to midnight on concert days.
That, combined with other street and lot closures, is making it harder to access the river in the area.
State of play: Richmond has "a paid, month-to-month trial lease" with the venue owners for the Belle Isle lot, city parks spokesperson Tamara Jenkins tells Axios.
Richmond police also shut down Brown's Island Way at 2nd Street and Tredegar Street between 5th and Brown's Island Way during concerts, she says.
The Tredegar Street parking lot — the gated paid lot near the American Civil War Museum — is also closed to the public during shows, a museum spokesperson tells Axios.
What they're saying: Allianz uses the lots for staging and staff parking, Jenkins says.
The street closures and leased lot aim to help with crowd control and public safety, she adds.
Allianz did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: The closures are similar to what happens during RiverRock and the Folk Festival, Jenkins says.
But those festivals draw hundreds of thousands of attendees and happen over three-days twice a year, far less frequently than the 7,500-person venue's summer schedule.
Worth noting: Jenkins did not respond to Axios' request for the lease terms by press time.
The big picture: Parking has been one of locals' top complaints about the city's new outdoor concert venue since it opened last month (and, if we're being honest, since it was announced).
At the outset, Allianz said there'd be no parking at the venue and encouraged attendees to use public transit or ride-sharing apps.
For drivers, the venue offers a map of paid places to park within a 15-minute walk.
Yes, but: The lack of onsite parking doesn't appear to have deterred concert-goers.
Early reviews on social media (minus parking and food price gripes) suggest the venue is a hit and a welcome addition to life in RVA.
And Allianz is hosting its biggest show yet this week: Back-to-back sold-out shows for Dave Matthews Band's first Richmond concert in nearly 30 years (the Belle Isle lot will be closed from 8am-midnight due to the size of the shows).
