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The Brandon Park bandshell, the half-moon-shaped amphitheatre and stage for outdoor music concerts, holiday performances and the annual Arbor Day celebrations of the past, is being eyed for rehabilitation.
City Council's finance committee took up the repair issue Tuesday by passing a resolution to hire Gannett Fleming as the design inspection firm for about $30,000. It did so with a positive recommendation.
But Councilwomen Liz Miele, committee chair, and Councilwoman Bonnie Katz, urged the administration to make it clear to Gannett Fleming to prioritize the repair needs based on a $280,000 limit, which is how much the city has available toward construction costs.
Gannett Fleming, which began the inspection during a prior administration, has indicated the stage floor is cracking, the front wall needs to be rebuilt, random sections of brick need to be replaced and repointed, and the roof and gable must be replaced, according to Jon Sander, city engineer.
Issues exist with humidity inside the structure, and accessibility upgrades up to and inside the facility must be done, he added. A lift or ramp may be installed on the side or rear of the facility, Sander said. The band shell may require an electrical upgrade to meet current code standards, he said.
That lengthy project list and knowing how the cost of materials and labor is going up daily evoked immediate responses of concern from Miele and Katz.
"Understand the city has a finite amount of funding," Miele said.
"When they diagnose the bandshell needs, we need the priorities and must have the facility operational for $280,000, which is what is available in construction funds," Katz said.
Unless the administration would propose funding such as what it has in the $25.4 million of American Rescue Plan funds, both women asked the administration to ensure the inspection be focused on priority repairs that fall in line with what is available for construction.
The bandshell is a historic structure built in 1913 by Jacob Gehron, according to minutes taken from the Brandon Park Commission as provided by Bonita C. Mahoney, former city recreation director.
The dedication ceremony of what then was a music pavilion was done June 16, 1914. During that day a crowd estimated at 8,000 people attended. The crowd in the park was entertained by the Repasz Band and the United German Singers. Cost to build the structure was $2,500.
Over the years, the bandshell became the site for the annual mayor's Community Sing, which was begun by Mayor Leo C. Williamson, and the event was continued through the 1960s and restarted by Mayor Gabriel J. Campana in 2008.
The facility officially was dedicated as the Dr. Kenneth L. Cooper band shell April 25, 2008, to honor the physician who served on the Brandon Park Commission since 1972 and helped to form the Shade Tree Commission in 1993.
It has been a focal point in the park and continues to be a place for Arbor Day celebrations, special events, and winter Festival of Lights ahead of the holiday season.