City of Colorado Springs, CO

01/28/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/28/2025 18:19

City of Colorado Springs and Ford Amphitheater sign mitigation and monitoring agreement

The City of Colorado Springs and Ford Amphitheater, owned by Venu Holding Corporation ("VENU") (NYSE American: VENU), have reached an agreement that sets a path for the 2025 concert season at the entertainment complex. While the venue remains in full compliance with its approved Planned Unit Development (PUD), additional mitigation measures have been agreed upon to address neighborhood feedback.

Following the inaugural 2024 season, the City and VENU have collected and responded to community feedback, gathered numerous third-party sound data reports, and met regularly to discuss ongoing and potential sound mitigation efforts. This dialogue between VENU, the community, and the City has laid the foundation for the agreement.

Key updates and mitigation efforts

The agreement introduces several new multi-million-dollar measures that demonstrate a commitment to being proactive and responsive to community needs.

1. Enhanced sound mitigation

The agreement expands the originally filed mitigation efforts:

  • Physical mitigation
    • VENU will construct additional sound walls at its north and south boundaries.
    • VENU will construct a sound tunnel system at the entry to the facility designed to redirect sound away from neighborhoods.
  • Electroacoustic mitigation
    • VENU is making substantial changes to the sound system, including configuration and equipment that will significantly reduce the sound leaving the amphitheater.

2. Enhanced sound monitoring

In addition to the two noise monitoring stations already required by the approved development plan, VENU will install three additional sound monitoring stations inside or adjacent to nearby neighborhoods where complaints were registered.

In order to get an accurate record of how sound is being experienced and to comply with City Code, the development plan and standard sound measurement practices:

  • Monitoring stations will track ambient noise prior to a performance and during each show.
  • Reports will isolate and disregard sudden extraneous sources (i.e. emergency sirens, wind)
  • All five monitoring stations will report in real-time to the amphitheater's front of house where the audio-visual operations team can make adjustments.
    • This also allows for a clear determination on whether excess dB(A)'s are associated with performances.

3. Clear oversight and reporting

Driven by a shared vision for sound levels to not exceed City Code outside of the Polaris Pointe development, the agreement commits that the venue must maintain a sound level that is at or below City statute levels or average ambient readings at that location, whichever is higher.

If sound levels during any concert at the Ford Amphitheater exceed the established limit by 6 dB(A) or more at two or more monitoring locations, it will be deemed a violation. In such cases, VENU will be subject to financial penalties per occurrence to the City and required to develop a plan for additional mitigation at the affected locations.

4. Limited noise hardship permit

The City has issued a noise hardship permitfor the Ford Amphitheater through Oct. 31, 2025. However, this permit is limited geographically to the Polaris Pointe Development, which includes the adjacent apartments and businesses. It also requires that VENU must comply with the new 2025 agreement, plus the requirements of the existing development plan.

A commitment to the residents of Colorado Springs

"Data, along with feedback from neighbors, has been critical to forging this new path forward, and I want to thank our community and the entire team at VENU for its diligence, investment and commitment to making the Ford Amphitheater a shared success for our community," said Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. "I am optimistic about the outcome of the planned mitigation and monitoring efforts, and we will be watching the results closely throughout this season."

"From the very beginning, we made a promise to be great neighbors, and that promise remains at the heart of everything we do," said J.W. Roth- Founder, Chairman, and CEO of VENU. "We deeply appreciate the patience of our community as we work through this process-gathering reliable data with our industry partners, crafting blueprints and action plans with our architects and engineers and collaborating closely with the City of Colorado Springs."

Roth continued, "I fully support the decision to limit the geography of the hardship permit. I made Colorado Springs a vow that I intend to keep: my goal is to ensure you'll need to buy a ticket to enjoy the concert. While this process has taken time, it's allowed us to get things right. I'm grateful that we have a clear understanding of how sound will be monitored, what constitutes a violation, and how enforcement will work. Here's to the 2025 season-let's rock and roll."

For more information about the Ford Amphitheater, visit ColoradoSprings.gov/FordAmphitheaterProject.