Got Haggis?
Joined: October 22, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 2016
Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 06:46 PM UTC
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Merriweather Post Pavilion is slated for a $19 million facelift.
The Howard County Council approved $9.5 million to go toward renovations at the Columbia concert venue. Those funds will be matched by $9.5 million from the Howard Hughes Corp., which owns Merriweather.
The project will aim to reinforce Merriweather?s position as a premier concert venue. Renovations will include new seating and a raised main roof, a new stage, new restrooms and concessions, new artist dressing rooms and significant environmental upgrades. The changes will roll out over five years.
I.M.P. Productions, which operates Merriweather, recently signed a 10-year extension contract with Howard Hughes Corp. to continue operating the venue. The agreement resolved a dispute between Howard Hughes and the county over who would operate Merriweather for the long term.
Musician Jack Johnson, who has pushed for eco-friendly practices at the venues on his tour, will be at Merriweather on Thursday to announce the renovations with Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, I.M.P. Chairman Seth Hurwitz and Howard County Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigtay. Check back with the Baltimore Business Journal on Thursday for more details.
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/06/04/merriweather-post-pavilion-is-getting-a-19.html
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 08:21 PM UTC
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overall, cool! but, my grossly uninformed self sez:
new seating: who cares, seats are fine now (maybe this means more than just physically replacing the seats?)
raised main roof: who cares
a new stage: who cares, hasn't been an issue so far
new restrooms: cool
and concessions: i guess this is cool
new artist dressing rooms: who cares (the artists, that's who… but you have 19,000 people in the stands, who are paying, who don't really care. have artists been refusing to perform at MPP because of the dressing rooms?)
and significant environmental upgrades: not sure what these are, but potentially cool.
guess my point is: without additional info, i wonder what those $19M are really being spent on. currently, i'm not convinced that MPP will be $19M better in 5 years… not that my opinion matters.
how about improving roads and parking? those actually affect me. </4_year_old>
atomic
Joined: August 27, 2013 at 01:49 PM UTC
Posts: 2093
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 08:39 PM UTC
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The concessions lines are way too long when their are huge croweds. You either miss half the show or don't eat or drink. Of course the food is awful…Nothing healthy to eat at all. I guess this is America and people expect artery clogging food when they go to a sporting event or concert but I think this is the main need for improvment. And the bathrooms should definitely be torn down and new ones built from scratch.
I agree the seating area is fine. They could add seats back in front and get rid of the pit. I don't see an issue with the roof but perhaps it is old and needs replacement.
jrpa
Joined: September 03, 2013 at 03:15 PM UTC
Posts: 29999
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 08:55 PM UTC
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How about roped off luxury seating that costs significantly more with iPads built into the back of seats that serve as both mini-video screens and allows us to order food, bottle service, and cigars delivered directly to our seats?
jrpa
Joined: September 03, 2013 at 03:15 PM UTC
Posts: 29999
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 08:56 PM UTC
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Also if there was some place we could get massages between sets and maybe VIP parking where we can get our oil changed/tires rotated/car washed and detailed during the show, that'd be really convenient.
hutch
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 09:02 PM UTC
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I think the place needs a facelift and anything they can do to make the stage more visible to the lawn would be great.
hutch
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 09:03 PM UTC
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Either way its a huge win win for Seth…ain't his money!
Rather Fillmoresque petetre?
grateful
Joined: October 15, 2008 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 11564
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 09:09 PM UTC
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I heard they're gonna make it look like Red Rocks.
atomic
Joined: August 27, 2013 at 01:49 PM UTC
Posts: 2093
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 09:26 PM UTC
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Doesn't seem very thrifty.
grateful
Joined: October 15, 2008 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 11564
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 09:54 PM UTC
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They'll make it up in Handling Fees
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 10:37 PM UTC
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first, it's not my money… i live in MoCo. i'll let PGC residents get indignant about this one. i won't blame them for complaining.
second, there was no one else offering to do this for free. there was no zero dollar alternative (not that this project is somehow essential or in the public interest… then again, neither was the FSS).
third, the ink isn't dry on this story yet. there will be protests.
jrpa
Joined: September 03, 2013 at 03:15 PM UTC
Posts: 29999
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 05, 2014 at 11:04 PM UTC
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Pay-per-entry VIP bathrooms with four-ply toilet paper.
grateful
Joined: October 15, 2008 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 11564
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 12:42 AM UTC
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sweetcell wrote:
first, it's not my money… i live in MoCo. i'll let PGC residents get indignant about this one. i won't blame them for complaining.
second, there was no one else offering to do this for free. there was no zero dollar alternative (not that this project is somehow essential or in the public interest… then again, neither was the FSS).
third, the ink isn't dry on this story yet. there will be protests.
HoCo
i am gay and i like cats
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 01:28 AM UTC
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great . . . eleven dollar beers, just became twenty.
K8teebug
Joined: August 03, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4126
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 04:26 PM UTC
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They are also making improvements to the area around MPP in the woods to make it more accessible. I think that's where some of the other money is going.
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 04:55 PM UTC
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I know Julian is being (at least partly) facetious, but upgraded VIP seating and parking is a great idea. The older I get, the less I want to deal with crowds and hassles. I am willing to overpay for easier access and a better seat and, in the process, subsidize the groundlings.
atomic
Joined: August 27, 2013 at 01:49 PM UTC
Posts: 2093
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 05:34 PM UTC
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ggw wrote:
I know Julian is being (at least partly) facetious, but upgraded VIP seating and parking is a great idea. The older I get, the less I want to deal with crowds and hassles. I am willing to overpay for easier access and a better seat and, in the process, subsidize the groundlings.
I dont' need better parking. There is plenty of great parking at MPP. They should do the concert series like they did back in the 80's. You bought tickets to all the shows in a group of six and then you got the best seats. VIP section sounds boring. My guess is you would have a bunch of people sitting down the whole show and they would all be on their cell phones and chatting. If you want great seats at any price there is stubhub. I have also managed to get great seats coming a couple of hours before the show and buying them at the box office.
Getting rid of the pit is what you really want. You want to have seats right in front of the stage. Instead of having that stupid pit. Whomever came up with that idea should be fired.
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Merriweather getting 19 million dollar facelift
June 06, 2014 at 05:53 PM UTC
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atomic wrote:
Getting rid of the pit is what you really want. You want to have seats right in front of the stage. Instead of having that stupid pit. Whomever came up with that idea should be fired.
I assume you mean, "whomever came up with the idea of getting rid of the pit should be fired."