VENUEWATCH: CBGBS TO GO?

It's looking a bit gloomy for Lengendary Rock Venue (TM) CBGB's, where a New York property battle looks likely to lead to the venue's closure. It turns out the club is subletting its space from the Bowery Residents' Committee. Although the BRC sounds like a snooty bunch of moustache-and-suit types, they use the rest of the building as a homeless shelter; their work is being hindered by an apparent rent backlog. Although CBGBs debt is down from a high of nearly a third of a million bucks, both parties agree there's still a sizeable seventy-five grand outstanding. What makes things tricky for CBGBs is their lease comes to an end this August, and having spent much of the last decade pissing off their landlords, they're about to get bitten back. The BRC want to bring the costs into line with new space in what has become a very expensive property market - a move which would double the money CBGBs would have to find. Muzzy Rosenbatt, BRC executive director, does seem to have the angels on his side for this one:

"I am not going to subsidize CBGB at the expense of homeless people" - which could be tricky to argue with.

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