Newspaper article The Florida Times Union
Amphitheater Deal at Little Cost to Taxpayers Appears Doable
Article excerpt
Now for an update:
You should know that it's looking more likely that a deal can
be worked out to build a new riverfront amphitheater that will
finally make Jacksonville a stop on the big-time concert
circuit.
Right now, the site getting the most attention is Metropolitan
Park.
Under this proposal, a state-of-the-art, 18,000- to 20,000-seat
amphitheater -- with about 7,000 seats under a roof -- would be
built to replace the park's existing stage and amphitheater.
The first time this idea came up several months ago, it was
sort of like a car hitting a wall.
The current users of Metropolitan Park -- such as WJCT TV-7,
the symphony and, oh yeah, the regular folks who happened to
like the park they had helped pay for -- had some serious
concerns, to say the least.
In current negotiations with Cellar Door -- the concert
promotion company that is pushing the new amphitheater and wants
to operate it -- the city has kept those concerns in mind.
The city's position is clear:
A new amphitheater would have to accommodate such users as
WJCT's Jacksonville Jazz Festival and the symphony's Starry
Night Concerts.
The amphitheater's design and positioning also would have to
accommodate Kids Kampus, a complex that would feature hands-on
attractions for kids that the city is committed to build at
Metropolitan Park.
The public's access to Metropolitan Park also would have to be
guaranteed.
Another possible stumbling block is the design of the
amphitheater.
The gradual slope that would be needed for a 20,000-seat
amphitheater would require building a berm perhaps 30- to 40-feet
high.
The city is insisting that any berm be built so as not to
destroy views of the river and to blend in with other park uses.
Then, as always, there's the rubber-meets-the-road question of
financing.
One figure being talked about is $11 million, with the city
putting up $7 million and Cellar Door the rest. …