Scott City nearly ready to raise money for amphitheater

Ideas for the Scott City amphitheater project have been tossed around for almost a decade, but plans are reaching completion.

Mayor Tim Porch has overseen the project and recently received preliminary construction plans. As soon as the budget is decided, Porch said fundraising efforts and grant searches will be made, then construction will begin possibly within the next year.

The plan is to build in Scott City's park on Ruth Avenue on the left side near the walking trail. That portion of the park has a naturally sloping hillside Porch said will be perfect for audiences. He estimates the amphitheater will accommodate 1,500 people.

Porch said an amphitheater or stage always has been planned for the park since its completion in the early 1970s.

"The park's not had much added to it -- new playground equipment and stuff like that -- we just maintain, and I don't like that. I think we should move forward with new things," Porch said. "I foresee us being able to have anything the Sikeston rodeo has, anything the Arena [Park] has (in Cape Girardeau), maybe get some country bands in here, church revivals. ... The question is, how soon would we build it? It all depends on the fundraising."

'Growing pains'

While numbers have not been officially set, Porch estimated the project will cost between $350,000 and $550,000 -- most likely the higher end.

This wasn't always the case. At one time, a much smaller version of the project was estimated to cost $60,000.

Current blueprints include a large stage area with a rounded front, a corridor dividing the stage from the back half that will have two dressing rooms, a bathroom, a loading and storage area and a mechanical and equipment room.

"It's going to be able to hold anything, like Shakespeare in the Park, a school band with all their instruments. We have a stage now that's 12 feet by 30 feet, so it's a little undersized," park director Phyllis Crump said.

The new amphitheater will be dedicated to Randy Leiner, a local musician who died in 2005. Porch said Leiner used to play with Mike Kohlfeld, Steve McPheeters and Paul Schock, who all helped get the idea for the amphitheater started. Porch said the memorial is fitting, because the park's land once was part of the Leiner family farm.

Nearly $250,000 has been accumulated for the project, Porch said, the majority of which came from the city's capital improvements tax.

"Back in 2013, we decided to get architect design quotes to do it," Porch said.

After determining the remaining funds needed, Porch said the city will form a gift or building committee.

"It would be a gift campaign, and we will go to whoever is willing to donate at that point," he said. "The Bank of Missouri had some interest, I think [Lawless] Harley [Davidson] had some interest, there's people that we have talked to, or we'll look for grants."

Regional draw

Schock, also a local business owner, said he believes this project is a regional one, and Scott City is the ideal place to house it.

"It took a long time for people to understand it," Schock said. "But it can host plays, recitals for schools, touring productions; we can open it up for the community. ... A lot of it was educating people that it's going to be positive for the community."

"We have a lot of people here who will donate their time and bring the costs down quite a bit. There's lots of community support, and even people outside Scott City in the region who want to contribute and make it great," Schock said.

A big concern for residents near the park is noise and the possibility of large crowds damaging their property. While Shock and Porch have said natural barriers will be installed to muffle the sound, Ward 3 city councilman Pete Wadlington said he believes voters should have been more informed before plans were finalized.

In August 2010, voters were asked to renew the capital improvement tax that went toward funding the amphitheater and other projects around town. But Wadlington said voters were inadequately informed on what the money was going toward. He said if the ballot had clearly stated the money was funding an amphitheater, he's confident the tax wouldn't have passed.

"I feel it warranted a ballot election if you're going to spend that kind of money," he said. "People should have a say to spend that kind of money or not."

There also was a petition to move the amphitheater that began in Ward 3, which Wadlington said had about 25 signatures.

Porch said while the amphitheater was not specifically listed on the 2010 ballot, there were plenty of other materials informing voters for what the capital improvement tax would be used.

"That argument kind of came about here recently, that it wasn't on the ballot," Porch said. "Well, you can't put everything on the ballot, but there was an informational packet and the resolution after [the election] that the council approved which had the amphitheater on it."

Porch said all the other projects allocating capital improvement tax funds had been completed. Previous reporting said the tax would go toward new storm sirens for severe weather warnings, upgrades to the city's water main system to resolve some low-pressure problems and repairs to facilities and equipment for the city's public works, fire and police departments.

smaue@semissourian.com

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pertinent address:

Scott City, Missouri