Council begins "what if" review of Nishota Beach concession stand; no recommendation yet

City leaders on Sept. 2 launched a preliminary, exploratory conversation about the future of the 1950s-era concession stand at Nishota Beach, emphasizing that the discussion is a “what if” review and that no recommendation or formal project has been proposed.

The city manager said nearly all daily beach operations — grooming, trash pickup, porta-potties and utilities for concessions — are currently funded by the general fund (property taxes), and that a modernized pavilion could create new revenue sources (rentals, expanded food and beverage offerings) to reduce that reliance. The manager said potential uses could include private-event rentals and expanded concessions that might generate revenue to offset operating costs.

Staff said they have discussed health department requirements and that interior concessions could be made code-compliant with manageable work. The city met with Hammond Construction and an architect to explore restroom-capacity expansion and concession improvements; staff noted the building’s cinder-block interior walls are likely not load-bearing, which would allow interior reconfiguration. Hammond provided a preliminary, informal estimate to staff; a formal bid process would be required for any construction work.

Staff discussed a previously cited planning estimate of about $1.9 million (noted as the architect estimate without demolition) and said community fundraising and sponsorships could play a substantial role in any larger project. Staff invited councilmembers to tour the concession stand and Riverside Park as follow-up. The city emphasized this remains exploratory; no funding, demolition, renovation contract or formal ordinance was approved at the Sept. 2 meeting.