In the universe of New York City music venues, Avant Gardner is a behemoth.

Its total capacity of roughly 6,000 people — in the heart of an industrial neighborhood in Brooklyn — lags only behind arenas and stadiums like Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center in terms of size. And it’s enjoyed the support of a number of local elected officials since opening full time in 2017, including Mayor Eric Adams. His close friend, Brooklyn power broker Frank Carone, was Avant Gardner's attorney before serving as the mayor's chief of staff last year.

But the venue, which is home to the popular outdoor concert space known as the Brooklyn Mirage, has found itself in a near-constant battle with the State Liquor Authority — which controls Avant Gardner's ability to sell alcohol, one of the cornerstones of its business model. Over the past five years, SLA regulators have repeatedly voiced concerns about what they have called "rampant" drug use and a number of deaths among people who attended events at the facility. Avant Gardner’s liquor license is due for renewal in May.

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