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Garcetti, Jay Z Announce Downtown Summer Music Festival

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) —  Mayor Eric Garcetti and Jay Z announced plans for the rapper's "Made In America" music festival in downtown L.A. Wednesday morning.

The two-day festival, scheduled for August 30 and 31 in Grand Park, raised concerns from councilman Jose Huizar, who complained earlier this month about possible ten-day street closures in his district.

However, Garcetti — along with County Supervisor Gloria Molina, organizer Jay Z and executives from event-sponsor Budweiser — discussed details of the festival on City Hall's steps at a morning news conference.

The festival's line-up has not been announced. Pre-sale tickets were available to the public beginning Wednesday for $125 for the two day event, which is expected to draw approximately 50,000 concert go-ers.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the United Way.

Huizar introduced a motion on March 28 (PDF) asking city staff to delay permits for the event.

The councilman's spokesperson, Rick Coca, reiterated his concerns on Tuesday, saying that "more work is needed" before permits are issued by city staff.

Coca also said that although the length of number of street closures had been reduced, Huizar wants his constituents to have an opportunity to voice any concerns.

Grand Park is managed by the Music Center and is owned by the county. Street closure permits, however, are obtained from the city.

Huizar is asking for a report detailing "public safety concerns and any necessary cost implications" before any permits are issued.

Jay Z's "Made In America" festival was previously held for the past two years in Philadelphia, Penn. It will again be held this year, in conjunction with the Los Angeles concert.

The concert "will be the first American festival to run simultaneously on both coasts," officials said.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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