Council pauses LC Stevens amphitheater construction until master plan work advances

The council discussed construction of a permanent amphitheater structure at LC Stevens Park and agreed to delay any standalone construction until the city’s master plan for LC Stevens is further along.

Parks staff presented three options: (1) bid and build a prefabricated amphitheater kit this year, (2) break out the work and procure the structure, concrete and installation as separate contracts, or (3) retain the current features and await the master plan by MSA so the amphitheater can be designed as part of the park’s overall master plan. Staff noted the amphitheater site lies within floodway/floodplain and will need DNR review.

Council members and staff said they want the final park to be cohesive; several members said building a kit that then dictated the master plan’s look risked producing a mismatched park. Some council members also pointed out procurement and contracting rules would limit adding elements to an existing bid package and that re-bidding could be required if the scope changes. Staff recommended option 3: keep what is on site for now, have MSA prioritize the amphitheater portion within the master-plan process, then return to council with design and procurement recommendations. Council endorsed that approach.

Staff said the amphitheater kits quoted by vendors have multi-month lead times; if the council wants a kit this year it would need to identify funding and procurement approach quickly. The council asked staff to have MSA focus on amphitheater concepts early in the master-plan schedule and to return to council with a recommendation and cost estimates.