'Night Mayor' Plan Would Help DIY Music Venues Cut Through City Red Tape, Councilman Says

BUSHWICK — The night might be granted its own mayor if a New York City councilman gets his way. Bushwick representative Rafael Espinal is currently working on legislation to create a “night mayor” who will help small DIY venues battle a web of bureaucracy and fees they face when they fail to meet city codes.

“Only high-end venues are capable of hiring the lawyers and paying the fees to keep their spaces up to code,” Espinal told Patch during a phone interview Wednesday.

“The night mayor would create a streamlined process to smaller venues with cutting through the red tape.”

New York would be the first city in the United States to have a night mayor, but not the first in the world. Amsterdam first instated a nachtburgemeester in 2014 and Zurich, Paris and London soon followed suit, according to Gothamist, which originally reported on Espinal’s plan.

The mayor would head the Office of Nightlife which would streamline bureaucracy and promote policies to benefit small venue owners.

Espinal believes a night mayor would protect businesses like Shea Stadium — the DIY venue that was forced to close because of mounting fees and eventually lost its lease — which he said are responsible for fostering the next wave of big name musicians.

“Lou Reed and the Ramones come from that culture,” said Espinal. “I don’t want the city to get to the place where those artists are without a space to perform.”

The bill is one of two Espinal is drafting to protect small venue owners in his district — he’s also drafting legislation to ban the “Footloose” law which outlaws dancing in unlicensed spaces.

Image via Georgia/Flickr