Napa investors given one month to take over BottleRock

(NVR) - A group of local investors has been given one month to resolve the trail of debt left by BottleRock music festival organizers.

If agreements are struck, the music festival stands a very good chance of taking place in 2014 at the Napa Valley Expo.

GSF Entertainment LLC — which is made up of Napans David Graham, Jason Scoggins and Joe Fischer — recently announced they would assume $6.6 million in debt from creditors of BR Festivals, the organizers of BottleRock 2013.

On Wednesday night, the Expo board of directors voted to move forward with approving a contract with GSF Entertainment for a 2014 event. The contract is contingent on an asset purchase agreement between GSF and BR Festivals and payment of the delinquent rent owed to the Expo, or $310,983.

However, if GSF has not completed its asset purchase agreement of BR Festivals and not paid all delinquent rent by the next board meeting, Jan. 21, the board will consider other BottleRock proposals.

And there is another local investor group, this one working with worldwide concert promoter AEG Live, asking for the chance to submit its own proposal for a 2014 festival.

But for its part, GSF Entertainment proposes to pay the Expo $800,000 for the use of the grounds for a three-day festival from June 20 to 22, rather than on Mother’s Day weekend in May when the first festival occurred.

Among other changes, “sound mitigation” will be required to “accomplish a better working relationship with our neighbors,” said a letter from Graham to Expo board members. Helicopter and related noise will be limited. Shuttles will improve traffic flow and impact. The group would also work to improve other parking and access issues “that were a problem in 2013.”