If the city council votes next week to put $1 million more toward the project, a completed Sen. Terry Brown Amphitheater could host its first show on the Island in spring 2027.
That “if” seemed more or less a done deal after Tuesday’s work session at City Hall, where four participating council members agreed to place the expenditure on next week’s consent agenda, meaning it can be approved without any further discussion.
The $1 million would come from the city’s capital improvement fund. Combined with $1 million each from a 2024 state legislative appropriation and the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau, City Engineer Kevin Stafford believes there’s enough to rebid the project and finally complete the amphitheater that has sat unfinished and unused for nearly a decade.
Once complete, the amphitheater could hold 3,500 spectators – with seating for half in the lower bowl and an open grass area in the upper level – and book 10 to 12 shows per year.
“There’s been a lot of talk that the city didn’t have a lot invested in it,” Mayor Stephen Jones said during the work session. “That’s why we’re making sure that we take care of that conversation as well.”
What completion entails
Lowndes County donated five acres on the Island in 2015 to house the amphitheater. Since 2017, the city has spent $3.85 million on the amphitheater, all from legislative appropriations.
Those funds built the stage, underground infrastructure, bathrooms behind the stage and a front entry wall.
Also, in 2017, the city purchased an acre lot near the amphitheater intended to provide venue parking.
In February, a single contractor bid $3.5 million to finish the amphitheater – including seats, additional bathrooms, concession facilities, gating, fencing and landscaping, among other things. At that time, the city only had the $1 million from the legislature committed.
If the city went to bid again, Stafford said Tuesday he believes there would be more interest, which could lead to more competitive bids.
“I’ve actually had two … contractors reach back out to me and say, ‘When are y’all going to rebid the amphitheater? We’re hearing the pot’s right. We’d like to be involved,’” he said.
A little “value engineering” could help get the price down, too, Stafford said.
Slagging the parking lot instead of paving it could save $400,000 in the short term, he said, while removing a trench drain from the plan could save another $350,000.
He suggested alternative bids for landscaping and bathroom/concession building materials that could create more savings. Plus, state law allows negotiating with the low bidder for up to 10% of the project budget, creating an opportunity for saving another $300,000.
Neel-Schaffer, the firm where Stafford works, also plans to collect less in fees than the original contract allowed, he said.
Stafford estimated the city could advertise for bids in February, award the contract in March and see the facility complete by next December.
Management
Stafford said Live Nation, and its subsidiary Red Mountain Entertainment, has helped advise the city on the amphitheater throughout the life of the project and remains interested in managing the facility once its complete.
The city also has the option to request proposals from other management companies, Stafford said.
Live Nation also manages the similarly-sized Sweetland Amphitheater in LaGrange, Georgia, which has booked acts such as Nelly, Travis Tritt, Flo Rida, Winona Judd, Blues Traveler, LeAnn Rimes, Everclear and Sister Hazel, among others. Not only does Live Nation believe such acts could come to Columbus, Stafford said, the amphitheater could also serve as a stop for a midweek show for acts traveling between larger venues.
“We’re not doing this on our own on a whim,” Stafford said. “We’ve had professionals with us along the way saying, ‘Yes, this is still very viable.’”
Floodplain and parking
On Tuesday, Stafford also addressed two of the more common criticisms of the amphitheater project – the facility is in a floodplain and there isn’t enough parking.
Stafford said the amphitheater stage sits in a floodplain “on purpose,” and it was built with sustainable materials that can handle flood events.
“We built this knowing it was going to flood, and built it accordingly,” he said.
The worst flood there, he noted, came in 2019 and affected the stage’s electrical infrastructure. Federal and state emergency management funded 87.5% of replacement electrical, which Stafford said was installed six feet higher off the ground.
“If that same flood, which I understand was a 32-year event, … if it happened again, it would not get to any of the electrical on the stage,” he said.
The bathrooms and concessions would be built on higher ground outside the floodplain.
As for parking, Stafford said the parcel the city already has can hold 132 vehicles – again on par with the Sweetland lot.
The city, he said, can use that lot for premium parking, charging $20 to $40 per space. Over a 12-show season, Stafford estimated that would generate $30,000 in revenue. The city could also reopen negotiations to purchase another nearby parcel, which he said could expand premium parking to 300 spots.
Downtown, he said there are ample free parking options he believes are easily walkable to the facility.
Other funding options
Both the county and CVB are discussing requesting additional funds for the amphitheater from the legislature next year.
Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston told The Dispatch last week the county may also consider pitching in toward operations.
But Stafford noted there are heretofore untapped organic funding opportunities as well. That could include the stage, concessions and loge sponsorships.
“We haven’t approached anyone yet for naming rights,” Stafford said.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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