A major entertainment company’s push to bring a large concert venue to one of Tampa’s most historic neighborhoods hit another snag this week — and the community has plenty to say about it. The Barrio Latino Commission, which oversees development in Ybor City, postponed a final decision on the proposed venue while simultaneously greenlighting the removal of two protected landmarks standing in the project’s path.
Developer Kettler announced plans earlier this year to build a 4,300-capacity concert venue as part of the ongoing Gasworx development in Ybor City. The venue would be operated by Live Nation, a booking and entertainment giant that, just last month, faced a serious legal setback — a federal jury found that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, operate as an illegal monopoly that stifles competition and drives up ticket prices for fans.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Kettler’s representative Tyler Hudson asked the commission to push the approval vote back to March 23, 2026.
“There’s been a lot of input on this discussion, because as everyone’s pretty well aware, we need a little bit more time to sharpen our pencil. I think it’s never too late to get it right the first time.”
— Tyler Hudson, representative for the venue developers.
Protest From the Floor
Attendees were not given an opportunity to comment before the commission voted on the delay. That didn’t stop one audience member from speaking up anyway. An unidentified protestor called out the commission during the proceedings.
“Do you not have the opportunity to deny the continuance though? Did you not hear the word salad he gave you requesting it? He said, ‘meh, meh, meh.’ It’s a multi-billion dollar corporation saying, ‘We didn’t think enough about this before we came to you.'”
The protestor was asked to leave before the commission voted to approve the continuance.
Oak Tree and Casita Cleared for Relocation
Separately, the commission approved the relocation of a historic casita and a grand oak tree that currently sit in the path of construction. Vice Chair Susan KlausSmith cast the only vote against the relocation.
Tom DeGeorge, the former owner of Crowbar — a beloved Ybor City music venue that closed this summer due in part to the challenging live music landscape shaped by Live Nation — spoke out against the relocation. He argued the developers had not fully followed city rules and raised safety concerns.
“I implore this commission to ensure any efforts with relocating or preserving the existing structure and the tree are done in a way that does not impose any new safety risks to the people of Ybor City … especially when the same applicant is trying to add a 4,300 capacity music venue next door while adding zero additional parking spaces.”
— Tom DeGeorge, former owner of Crowbar.
Live Nation’s Track Record in Tampa
The proposal has drawn heightened scrutiny partly because of past controversies involving Live Nation employees in Tampa. Internal message exchanges revealed that Ben Baker, who worked as a regional ticketing director for Live Nation in Tampa, discussed pricing strategies with a colleague in ways that drew widespread criticism.
In the messages, Baker described charging $50 for grass parking, noting
“i charge $60 for closer grass,”
and said he charges $100 for oversized parking that is still nearly a mile from the venue entrance.
In a separate message, Baker wrote:
“robbing them blind baby. that’s how we do.”
The final vote on whether the concert venue moves forward is now scheduled for March 23, 2026.
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