Supreme Court NY backs Albany’s decision to ban dance parties at The Armory

After being host to countless events including the Winter White tour with David Guetta, city officials in Albany, New York have recently moved to ban dance music events from being held at The Washington Avenue Armory, the 15,000 square foot auditorium that served as Upstate New York’s EDM mecca. Using semantics as leverage, city officials claimed that due to the venue being zoned as an auditorium the massive general admission dance parties were against city regulations – citing that an auditorium implies fixed seating and that the venue had simply become a large, illegal nightclub.

The ban was opposed by The Armory’s management, but according to New York Supreme Court Justice Michael Lynch the Board of Zoning Appeals was acting within its authority and that the parties do violate its zoning restrictions. The BZA Ban is enforceable immediately with fines up to $2000 for non-compliance.

According to Armory attorney Greg Teresi, without the revenue generated from electronic dance events the Armory may have to close its doors for good.

“The problem is that the shows that the city is trying to deter us from having, these types of concerts, it’s an integral part of our ability to stay open at this point,” Teresi said. “It’s possible that this could shut the Armory down, absolutely. And the city is well aware of that.”

Via: Times Union

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