City staff recommends demolishing West Park bandshell and launching comprehensive redesign

City parks staff and consultants recommended demolishing the structurally compromised Bandshell at West Park and pursuing a comprehensive redesign and activation plan for the park, saying rebuilding in place would face regulatory and technical limits.

The recommendation was presented to the Ann Arbor Parks Advisory Commission by consultants from SmithGroup and city staff. "Staff are recommending instead of creating alternate concept plans … to demolish the band shell and move forward with a comprehensive plan to develop the future of West Park," a staff member said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The bandshell sits inside the floodway, which the consultants said both accelerates foundation deterioration and limits what can be built there under federal floodway rules and the city’s stormwater management goals. Because the structure and site restrict stage size, acoustic performance and ADA access, staff said the existing shell cannot meet contemporary performance and accessibility needs without major intervention.

SmithGroup senior consultant Brandon Woodall summarized engagement and technical findings. He told the…