August 16, 2021 at 10:58 a.m.
Work on Hodag Park amphitheater expected to begin next spring
Work on Hodag Park amphitheater expected to begin next spring
The council approved the design earlier this summer and had expressed a desire to see the work begin as soon as possible. Before the vote to approve the contract, alderperson Eileen Daniel asked if work would begin yet this construction season.
"What do you anticipate would be able to get done within the scope of this year's building season?" she asked.
"I'll be truthful with you," responded Phil Kriesel of MSA. "We won't. You'll be building this next year."
Kriesel said some grading work can be done yet this year, but it will be November before the design and bidding process is complete and by that time weather will be an issue.
"There's a bunch of concrete involved with this," he said. "You don't want to be pouring concrete in November. The best thing is to push it right up into next year when the weather is more conducive and prices (for necessary materials) come back to reality."
According to the contract, the target construction budget for the project is $400,000, excluding in-kind gifts and soft costs. MSA's lump sum fee will be $59,500, the contract states.
Start/mobilization is scheduled for March/April 2022 with substantial completion by late June and final completion by late July, according to the contract.
Alderman Tom Barnett expressed enthusiasm about the project.
"I looked at the design and all that. I'm absolutely in love with the design and the look of it and what they have in store for this," he said. "So I'm 100 percent excited about this whole thing. I think it's going to be great."
The concept is for the amphitheater to have a "Northwoods' feel to it and be "finished in such a way that it looks like timber on the underside" with "a logging kind of feel to it," according to city administrator Zach Vruwink.
The addition of a performance stage/amphitheater is one of several improvements to the park included in the Hodag Park Master Plan approved by the council in March following a multi-year process that involved the gathering of input from numerous stakeholders.
The city has pledged $100,000 to the project. In addition, thanks to a generous contribution from an anonymous donor, the Rhinelander Community Foundation (RCF) is facilitating community support by matching the first $100,000 in donations to the Hodag Park Improvement Fund. This non-endowed Fund was established at RCF in 2015 by the James E. Cleary Foundation in order to facilitate lasting support for the park, according to an RCF press release.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Hodag Park Improvement Fund, checks should be made payable to the Rhinelander Community Foundation with "Hodag Park Improvement Fund" written in the memo line and mailed to:
Rhinelander Community Foundation
PO Box 1523
Rhinelander, WI 54501
Instructions for online giving can be found at www.rhinelandercommunityfoundation.com.
Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].
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