Report: The Fillmore, 2 Years In—Is It Living Up to Expectations?

The Washington Post reports that Live Nation, which operates The Fillmore entertainment venue in Silver Spring, has not delivered on some of the commitments it made to operate the $11.2-million facility.

The Fillmore (8656 Colesville Rd.) opened two years ago this month. Construction cost about $11.2 million and was financed by state and county taxpayers. Live Nation is paying $90,000 a year for the first five years, and the community is supposed to be "guaranteed a minimum of 36 free and heavily subsidized county and community uses of the facility each year," The Post reported.

Only one such event has been held so far, The Post found.

There's also supposed to be one charitable auction a year, but not one has occurred yet, The Post added.

So what commitments have been delivered?

According to its lease of The Fillmore, Live Nation is to provide the county with six free tickets to every performance. "There is no stipulation that the tickets given to the county be pegged to charity, and most have gone to county officials," The Post reported.

>>>Read more about the current situation—including how and if those free tickets are being used—at The Fillmore in The Post's in-depth report.

What do you think about the six free tickets per performance going mostly to county officials? Do you think they could be put to better use, and how could that be done?