There are several options on the table to correct infrastructure problems at Metropolitan Park.
Mayor Lenny Curry’s team is picking the cheapest as it intends to simply remove the damaged tent covering the stage area of the riverfront park.
A February review by the city Public Works Department analyzed four options based on past inspections and determined that for $200,000, removing the tent was the best option.
Doing so would remove a potential safety hazard and make additional space at the venue for future activities and events, according to a department memo.
Other options reviewed were repairing the structure, referred to as the Florida Pavilion, for an estimated $1.9 million; replacing it for $8 million; or demolishing it for $250,000.
Removing the tent keeps the stage intact, while demolishing the pavilion would convert the area to a green space.
Advantages to just removing the tent included eliminating a safety hazard and restoring the space for park use. The only disadvantage is cost.
The stage area has been closed since November after an inspection by a New York-based firm came back with the conclusion the facility should be closed. Further tests on the tent’s support structures, cables and poles were conducted a month later.
The tent and stage area were installed in 1984 and are well past their planned lifespan of 15-20 years, according to the department memo.
A city master plan in 2009 called for the replacement of the facility at a cost of about $6.5 million — a figure that’s gone up to almost $8 million due to price escalation, design and administration costs.
A bill to be reviewed by City Council would reimburse a promoter about $96,000 for costs incurred for a December concert. The Big Ticket had planned to use the stage, but because of the issues, promoters had to construct a temporary stage.
That money would come from a Metropolitan Park maintenance and improvement account and leave the fund with more than $604,000.
Curry spokeswoman Marsha Oliver earlier this week said there were no immediate plans for replacing the tent. Council still has to sign off on removing the structure, although no legislation has been filed.
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