Peter Shapiro is generally beloved by New York City music fans for bringing us top notch venues like Brooklyn Bowl and The Capitol Theatre, but according to the blog, Pardon Me For Asking, Shapiro is taking a lot of flack from the Gowanus neighborhood in which he has proposed a new project. Entitled ‘Rock And Roll Playhouse’, the venue was proposed to the area as a theater intended for children 10, providing daily classes and performances geared for kids. However, residents are up in arms after learning that the venue is applying for a full liquor licence and permits allowing them to stay open until 2:00am.
Area residents have formed a group called ‘We Are Gowanus’ with the aim of opposing the project. They claim to have been misled on a variety of points, including a lack of soundproofing, an outdoor patio area, a lack of parking, and a huge discrepancy in capacity make the project undesirable for the neighborhood. You should really read Pardon Me For Asking, which has an extremely well detailed look at all of the opposition to the project.
(Check out our interview with Peter Shapiro after opening the Capitol Theatre)