CROWN HEIGHTS — A controversial techno festival set to take place at the Bedford-Union Armory in Crown Heights next week is moving to Sunset Park due to community concerns, organizers said.
The promoters of the Time Warp festival said “out of respect to the community of Crown Heights and the concerns expressed by its leaders,” the event will move to the 39th Street Pier, where the festival was held last year.
“We appreciate the quick efforts of the city toward making the move possible, and look forward to working with the local teams that helped make last year such a resounding success,” read a statement from Time Warp released Friday afternoon.
A City Hall spokeswoman confirmed the move, saying "after closely reviewing the event, the city along with the organization is moving Time Warp to 39th Street Pier in Brooklyn where it was successfully held last year."
The change in venue comes a day after local elected leaders in Crown Heights held a press conference railing against the two-day electronic music festival, imploring the city to find another location for the event, set for Nov. 20 and 21.
Community residents have pushed their local representatives to cancel the “rave” for weeks over concerns about possible drug use, noise and crowds, they said.
After hearing of the move Friday, Assemblyman Walter Mosley said the location change is “an appropriate outcome” after weeks of back-and-forth with the city about Time Warp. He added he hopes to set up a meeting soon with “local stakeholders” and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services — the city agency in charge of permitting events at the armory — to determine “why they thought it was fitting to co-sign” the event in the first place.
Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo thanked those in Crown Heights who came together to voice their issues with the event, especially concerning public safety.
“Today really demonstrates the success we can have as a community when we unite as one,” she said.
This is the second time Time Warp has had to scramble to find a new location in the city. Last year, the group was forced to hold the festival at the Sunset Park pier after a community outcry and permitting mix-up at the Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx, the New York Daily News reported.
