By Mary Hladky
Now that The Center for Arts and Innovation will not be built on city-owned Mizner Park land, Boca Raton City Council members can no longer push aside the fact that the city’s amphitheater there needs an overhaul.
TCAI planned to incorporate the amphitheater’s functions into its proposed performing arts complex’s main venue. With that in the works, city officials could forgo major renovations.
But now, the aging amphitheater’s condition looms as a problem that needs to be addressed.
Before the deal with TCAI tanked, city officials had decided the roof needed to be replaced. That work is scheduled to start soon.
But in a Jan. 27 meeting, Council member Fran Nachlas asked City Manager George Brown what more needed to be done.
Citing the age of the building completed in 2002, Brown said the city should take a serious look at capital improvements. He proposed hiring a consultant that has experience with amphitheaters to outline options.
The main question is: “Should we invest some of the dollars we have in capital money to improve the amphitheater now that we know it will be ours for the time to come,” he said.
Among the matters that should be explored are whether the building should have a retractable roof to protect the public from the elements and whether the backstage facilities are adequate and attractive to entertainment groups, he said.
Council members endorsed Brown’s idea, with Mayor Scott Singer asking that the analysis be done soon so the cost can be included in next fiscal year’s budget.
Singer asked whether the cost would be “in the seven figures.” Brown agreed that an amount of under $10 million probably is what is needed.
While the TCAI planning was proceeding, “We have been putting a lot of Band-Aids on stuff and deferring a lot of serious maintenance and serious thinking …,” said Council member Marc Wigder.
But at this point, forgoing investment in the amphitheater is not an option, council members said.
“The programming keeps getting better and better. The attendance has been getting better and better,” said Deputy Mayor Yvette Drucker. “That means the community has an appetite for that area of town. Our goal is to bring more people into Boca.”
So when it comes to improving the amphitheater, “I am all for it,” she said.
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