Board Will Weigh Plan to Turn Rose Bowl Into Concert Venue

An outdoor amphitheater at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl that would rival the Hollywood Bowl as a concert venue is expected to move closer to reality today.

The Rose Bowl Operating Co. board, which oversees the city-run facility, will review a proposal for a three-year deal with a group of local business leaders who want to turn the south end of the bowl into a 15,000- to 20,000-seat venue for concerts ranging from classical music to pop vocalists such as Gloria Estefan.

“We are hoping to get at least one concert in 1997,” said David Jacobs, the Rose Bowl’s chief executive officer. “We’re looking for about three concerts a year. . . . These will be Pasadena cultural events designed to improve community values. But the bottom line will be we want to make money.”

Jacobs said he wants the nine-member board to consider offering Pasadena-based LRB Entertainment a better deal than is usually given to event organizers so the venue promoters can make the concert series profitable.

Normally, the Rose Bowl charges 10% of the gross receipts on events but in this case Jacobs wants to take only 7.45% and give concert organizers 30% of the parking revenue instead of keeping it all for the stadium.

“This is an investment,” he said. “Basically, we did a first crack at negotiations and we discovered they couldn’t make it on the regular deal.”

Jacobs said he plans to offer LRB Entertainment a three-year deal while retaining the right to renegotiate terms after one year.

The partnership planning the concerts includes former Tournament of Roses President Mike Ward, entrepreneur Dick Taylor, concert producer Robin Winters, tournament executive director Jack French and his wife, Patricia.

Jack French said LRB has tested the acoustics and believes the San Gabriel Mountains would provide a scenic backdrop.