The Columbus amphitheater was supposed to be a state-funded $3.5 million project that would be completed in a few years.
To say that didn’t work out would be quite an understatement.
After being awarded $3.85 million in bonds from the state between 2015 and 2019, that funding source went dry and work halted.
Meanwhile, a project estimated to cost $3 million in 2015 has more than doubled in price. The city now estimates it will take another $4 million to finish the amphitheater.
Finally, for the first time in the 10-year odyssey, it appears there may be the necessary funds to complete the facility. The $4 million estimate includes $1 million to purchase and pave a parking lot for amphitheater events.
The city of Columbus has pledged to commit $1 million to the project, something it expects to formalize at its next city council meeting. Based on a plan revealed Thursday, the city will use another million appropriated by the legislature during the 2024 session and a newly-announced $1 million contribution from the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau funds.
There is no guarantee that the $3 million will be enough to finish everything but the parking lot. In 2025, Weathers Construction was the only contractor to bid to complete the entire project. That bid was $3.5 million.
It’s likely the price tag has risen, which would leave the city with two options, scaling back on some amenities or finding whatever additional money is needed to finish the job.
The city established a $4 million capital improvement fund at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, which will presumably fund the city’s $1 million. That fund has been tapped for other projects as well, but it could also fund any shortfalls in the amphitheater project.
Given the tortured history of the amphitheater, we are reluctant to say it is all smooth sailing from this point forward. But for the first time in a long time, there is a substantial amount of funds available to make completing the amphitheater a reasonable expectation.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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