Opponents Of Yukon Amphitheater
OYA

Protect Yukon's Future

In a rush to boost tax revenue, Yukon’s leaders are pushing a public-private deal with unproven Venu Holding Corporation to build a 12,500-seat outdoor amphitheater—despite strong public opposition. With limited land and a small, landlocked population, the city is seeking growth at the cost of resident concerns: noise, traffic, light pollution, and falling property values. A lack of transparency from city council only deepens public distrust.Yukon can do better.

Venu Holding Corporation wants to partner with the City of Yukon (pop. 26,388) to build a 12,500-seat open-air amphitheater at Route 66 and Frisco Road, costing around $110 million.

  • Venu Holding requires 35-40% investment from cities. “Municipalities contribute between 35%-40% of the cost through land, parking and other infrastructure improvements and tax incentives that can be used to secure financing.” Colorado Springs, CO (population 488,664) , is home to Venu's 8,000 seat Ford Amphitheater. Open less than one full concert season and already facing hundreds of complaints and regrets by Colorado Springs City Council members for allowing its construction.

  • Venu Holdings has broken ground on an amphitheater in Broken Arrow, OK (population 119,194), has plans for an amphitheater in McKinney, TX (population 213,509) and El Paso, TX (population 678,958).

  • The City of El Paso agreed to contribute over $30 Million in various ways to the amphitheater.

  • McKinney, TX agreed to contribute at least $26 Million in public funding. This means Yukon, with a population approximately 80% smaller than Broken Arrow and 96% smaller than McKinney, TX, will need to contribute at minimum, $38 Million in one form or another.

  • Venu Holding Corporation's business model is unproven, with only one operational amphitheater in Colorado Springs open for less than one full concert season.

  • “Our business model for the amphitheaters on public-private partnerships based on what (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones did with football (in Frisco). I wanted to bring that to music by creating a model to make that work,” JW Roth says (CEO of the publicly traded Venu Holding Corporation). https://socodigest.com/2024/07/22/ford-amphitheater-colorado-springs-colorado/

  • The City of Murfreesboro, TN canceled their contract with Notes Live, (renamed Venu Holdings. in Sept 2024) for a 6,500 seat outdoor amphitheater after learning the company had changed it's orignal plans and failed to meet deadlines for groundbreaking, twice. “We had high expectations for this project, but unfortunately the project changed and those changes significantly altered what was agreed to in the development agreement,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “The city is committed to finding the best project and use for this site."

OYA Proposes Another Way

BEST USE THEORY

Core Principles of the Best Use Theory:1. Economic Optimization:
***The use must be commercially viable and sustainable over time.
***It should generate robust tax revenue for local governments without causing public burden or requiring excessive public subsidy.
***Encourages uses that attract stable businesses, create jobs, and stimulate local economies.
2. Community Compatibility:
***Proposed developments must respect and enhance the quality of life for neighboring residents.
***Uses that cause persistent noise, traffic, or environmental degradation (e.g., large outdoor concert venues in residential areas) are discouraged.
***Emphasizes context-sensitive development — what is "best" is relative to the neighborhood, demographics, and urban fabric.
3. Long-Term Value Creation:
***Prioritizes uses that are resilient to economic shifts and adaptable over time (e.g., mixed-use developments, tech parks, community-centered retail).
***Avoids speculative or trend-driven development with high risk of obsolescence.
4. Public Benefit and Accessibility:
***Incorporates elements that serve public interests, such as parks, walkability, small business support, or civic spaces.
***Fosters social equity, ensuring the benefits of development are distributed and accessible to the broader community.
5. Smart Growth and Sustainability:
***Encourages environmentally responsible design and sustainable land use.
***Advocates for developments that reduce sprawl, improve transit access, and conserve resources.Application Example:
A municipality considering a vacant lot near a residential neighborhood might evaluate options such as:
A neighborhood-scale retail plaza with local businesses
A community health or wellness center
Mixed-use development with affordable housing and ground-floor commercial space
versus a 12,500-seat outdoor concert venue that brings revenue but disrupts daily life.
According to the Best Use Theory, the former options align more closely with long-term community value, tax revenue generation, and resident well-being.

Other Concerns Surrounding a Large-Scale Outdoor Amphitheater

Noise Pollution

  • Colorado Springs residents experience intrusive noise polution as far as 6 and 7 miles away from the only Venu Holdings amphitheater operating to this date. See videos, below.

  • Colorado Springs officials have been inundated with complaints. Councilmember Nancy Henjum, who voted to approve the project, said she now has regrets about her decision.

  • Sound sensitive individuals and pets (veterans, children, etc) within 5 miles of the venue wil be severely impacted.

  • The City Of Yukon will need to grant a sound variance at the expense of every Yukon citizen’s right to enjoy their property without a disturbance of the peace.

  • Average concert decibels of 90-120dB can travel beyond the 5 miles average in some weather conditions (like wind, heat & humidity). Outdoor sound study:

  • Nearby neighborhoods will suddenly be living in a Noise Hazard Zone, and must be disclosed as such when selling their homes, leading to an average of 30% reduction in property values.

  • Venu CEO, JW Roth is quoted as saying, "while I want to emphasize that I do take these seriously (complaints), I also think we just need time to become part of the ambient noise you already hear every day, because then people will notice it less."

Traffic And Infrastructure Concerns

  • The City of Yukon has yet to release information regarding infrastructure and traffic control plans.

  • Yukon's west side already experiences heavy traffic congestion and delays on a daily basis.

  • A project as large as a 12,500 seat amphitheater will require major infrastructure improvements, water / rain / enviromental management, etc. At what cost to the taxpayers?

Tax Revenue

  • The proposed property is within OKC city limits. In order to convert the property to Yukon city limits, the City of Yukon entered into to a 15 year agreement with OKC to split 50/50 all tax revenue generated from any venture located there.

  • Current sales tax in Yukon is 4%. This means Yukon will get 2% and OKC will get 2%.

  • Other cities where Venu Holdings is building have agreed to grant Venu a 1% sales tax rebate, bringing the sales tax income for the next 15 years to 1%.

Other Concert Venues In OKC Metro Area

  • Paycom Center (15,152 seats for concerts)

  • Zoo Amphitheater (approx 7,000 seats)

  • Lloyd Noble Center (10,967 seats)

  • OKC Fairgrounds OG&E Coliseum (10,944 seats to be complete mid-2025)

  • OKC Maps 4 Multipurpose Stadium for local sports and concert venue, planned opening 2027. (12,300 seats)

  • Not to mention at least 4 casinos in the metro area with concert venues.

Unproven Company - What If They Fail?

  • Venu Holdings Corp, formerly known as Notes Live, was established in September 2024 as a "rebranding" to reflect their new desire to create "upscale" outdoor venues.

Coming Soon

TIF Districts
Alternative Ideas

What You Can Do

  • Attend City Council Meetings. Wear red. Be respectful.

  • Talk to your neighbors and friends. All Yukon residents need to know about the amphitheater. It will impact all of Yukon.

  • Download the petition, below. Carry it with you and get signatures as you talk with people in your daily life.

  • Share emails and Facebook posts with anyone you know that would be interested.

  • Door-To-Door volunteers needed.

Contact Yukon City Council

  • Contact all 5 city council members. Address emails to the City Clerk and add the intended council member as cc. This ensures your email is recorded into the record.

  • Don’t copy and paste someone else’s email text. When they receive identical emails, they ignore them. Link to facts, if you can, and add a personal component.

  • Email often (once a week is suggested). Try to discuss something different in each email. ie: if there was a council meeting, discuss something specific to the meeting.

  • Don’t be anti-development. They’ve made it clear that something will be built in that spot. They obviously want something with high tax revenue. Offer alternatives.

  • Include articles, research, etc links in your emails if you can. It gives them more information and shows you are researched and invested.

  • One-on-one meetings with council members are WORTH A LOT. Brian Pillmore remarked that one in-person meeting was worth 1,000 signatures on a petition.

  • Also email all Planning Commission members.

  • Always be polite and calm. Any anger or threats will hurt the entire group and our cause.