There will be no more outdoor concerts at the Maine Savings Pavilion venue in Westbrook this year and possibly none in the future, say the developers of the Rock Row project.
Waterstone Properties Group of Needham, Massachusetts, notified the city of Westbrook this week of its decision to discontinue shows at the 8,200-seat amphitheater in 2021 and beyond.
A copy of the developer’s letter was posted on the Nason’s Corner Neighborhood’s Facebook page Wednesday. Nason’s Corner is in Portland, near the Westbrook city line and Rock Row. The letter was signed by Brian Kaplan, project manager at Waterstone Properties Group.
The venue began hosting concerts in the summer of 2019, but no concerts were held in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The concerts in the 2019 inaugural season drew noise complaints from nearby Portland and Westbrook residents, with some claiming the music was so loud it made windows rattle.
“As owners of the 110-acre Rock Row development in Westbrook, we would like to formally notify the City of Westbrook and the Maine Department of Transportation that no further concerts or activities will take place at the Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row for the 2021 performance season, and beyond,” Waterstone Properties says in its letter to the city and state. “The decision to permanently suspend all performances at The Pavilion is based primarily on planned permitting and construction activities that are taking place throughout Rock Row in upcoming months, particularly those related to the announced Medical & Research Campus at Rock Row and proposed residential buildings.”
Greg John, a spokesman for Waterstone Properties, explained in more detail the reasons behind the company’s decision to no longer use the site for outdoor performances.
“The major construction that will soon be taking place at Rock Row makes it unfeasible for us to host outdoor concerts any longer,” John said in an email. “This was an expected event, as the pavilion is directly in the middle of a construction zone. We are now turning our attention to hosting an enclosed, four-season meeting and convention venue that will be a signature attraction at Rock Row.”
John said more details regarding the development will be shared with the public in the near future.
Waterstone Properties describes the Rock Row development on its website as a $600 million, 110-acre, open air streetscape of shops, restaurants, offices and residences designed around a 400-foot-wide natural quarry.
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