Sunday, March 3, 2002
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Sunday, March 3, 2002 |
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Ground broken for amphitheater By MONROE ROARK
A large group of city officials and business leaders braved the cold Thursday afternoon to attend the groundbreaking for Fayetteville's new Villages Amphitheater. The venue, which is part of the Villages at LaFayette Park multiuse development, will sit adjacent to Fayette County High School after its construction, which is scheduled to be completed in early fall. Many of those in attendance Thursday spoke of the project being the culmination of an idea that had been in circulation for a long time. "This is a grand day," said Councilman Al Hovey-King, who also chairs the city's Downtown Development Authority, to the crowd of approximately 50 onlookers as construction crews moved large mounds of dirt behind him. The amphitheater will be located at the northeast corner of the Villages development, at the intersection of LaFayette Avenue and Tiger Trail, and will share a parking lot with the high school. While the city has no plans whatsoever to compete with the summer concert series that has become a staple at Peachtree City's Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater, the Fayetteville facility is expected to host a wide variety of cultural and community events. Seating capacity is expected to be about 1,500. The first phase of construction includes a 55-foot stage with a roof, tiered grass seating area and lawn seating. Plans also call for a full concession building and restroom facilities. With a price tag of about $1.25 million, the amphitheater is being financed with a 20-year revenue bond recently secured by the DDA. A combination of impact fees, hotel/motel tax revenues and event/user fees will likely be used to service the debt on the bond. The city's Main Street office will manage the venue. "The mission of the amphitheater is to create a multipurpose venue that will represent all aspects of the cultural, arts and educational community in a professional and esthetically pleasing environment," according to city officials. "All events, concerts and productions will operate within the covenants that have been agreed upon by the city and the developer. The amphitheater will help to reestablish the downtown Main Street district as the cultural heart and soul of the city." The city is currently soliciting sponsorships from interested individuals and business. Anyone seeking more information concerning sponsorship opportunities should contact Main Street Manager Nancy Price at 770-461-6029. In addition to financial contributions, the city is looking for in-kind donations, such as a flagpole, brick accents, benches, accent lighting, wrought iron fencing, landscaping, and sound and lighting. The naming of the amphitheater is also considered a negotiable sponsorship. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made to the Fayetteville Main Street Tourism Association, which is a nonprofit corporation.
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