As with most city parks projects, the Devil is in the details. Another multi-million dollar parks project with little details of how it is all going to happen;
Levitt at the Falls will offer thousands of residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy approximately 50 free, professional concerts annually. Artists from all across the region and others throughout the country, representing multiple genres, will draw people of all ages. All concerts will be family-friendly.
The national Levitt Foundation will grant Friends of Levitt $500,000 toward construction costs and significant operational support going forward. In addition to providing design and site development at Falls Park West, the City of Sioux Falls will retain ownership of the venue and land as well as provide maintenance for the grounds.
The estimated $4.6 million project will be funded by a combination of City contributions and funding from the national Levitt Foundation and the Friends of Levitt Shell Sioux Falls. Levitt at the Falls kicked off a $1.06 million Chamber Community Appeals-approved campaign on November 1, 2016, and the campaign will end March 31, 2017. The plan will come to fruition when the first performance takes place in 2019.
As I have said before, I am still unsure how we are going to get close to the 50 concerts a year. Since most concerts will have to be during nicer weather, that is a ‘professional’ (not local acts) concert every 3-4 days.
But I also take issue with the money. It seems we will footing the lion’s share of this project and ongoing expenses. Granted, we can’t use the land for anything else due to 6 inches under the ground is pretty much on fire and melting battery acid, but I am wondering if just building a modest band shell that anyone can use would be a much more prudent way to go instead of tying us in with Levitt and the expenses that go along with it.
While we are denying the FOP decent wages we are dreaming of FREE concerts in the park.
Um, What does:
Granted, we can’t use the land for anything else due to 6 inches under the ground is pretty much on fire and melting battery acid,
Mean????
I tried to do some research last year when this idea was first brought public. Although they brag about the level of talent they book (“Grammy winners”), it’s impossible to find any list of artists that have appeared at their other venues. (Of course, as soon as I type this somebody will find one.) Their sites are full of hype about themselves. The Leavitt name is more important than the music they present. Generic descriptions of “Professional” and “family friendly” indicates to me that we’re going to spend five million for another place to see Mogen’s Heroes. No thanks.
KDLT reported cost will be 2 million equally divided between the city and Levitt. That’s probably true but there’s no such thing as a city project not costing two or three times a private project comparison. This is a good idea. It gives the homeless another place for tents and boxes. The question is; How can you keep Huether from using his rigged contractor and taking his usual commission?
Peter, it is a ‘brownfield’ in other words it can only be used as a park unless very expensive and massive remediation takes place. That would require them to take several feet of earth from the top. That’s why developers won’t touch it with a ten foot pole.
When I read the release, I assumed the sentence following “50 free, professional concerts annually” provided the context for what they consider professional.
Viewing the websites of their other projects, usual lineups
seem to be what one might generally expect from a summer concert series: some bigger acts, some local talent, a handful of outdoor movie nights. (http://levittpavilionarlington.org/about-us/the-levitt-pavilion-family)
Like you said in your last comment, it’s a capped brownfield so about the best one is going to do on this site is a park or something built on a slab foundation. Ain’t gonna be much digging going on around there.
Give him a break Peter. He’s not known for using facts.
Sioux Falls is leading the way in SD in development and growth, crushing rapid city. they shoulda built the premier center BIGGER, dang thing keeps selling out! young people with disposable income want to do stuff, go fig!?!?
Paying for health insurance must not be considered “stuff” young people want to do.
The Levitt Foundation contributes 10 percent of the construction costs, or up to $500,000, followed by half the operating costs the first year.
Operating a Levitt pavilion costs about $500,000 annually.
Reviewing other levitt parks already in operation yields this. The free concerts also mean you can bring in your own picnics, and beverages, (no glass). Most allow your own beer, found one one that allowed no alcohol. Cannot see how this could work in SF. City way too interested in selling $5 domestic beers and $5 wedges of pizza. (Gotta angle that profit motive any way they can.) The few concerts a year that sell tickets allow none of your own food or beverage. 50 free concerts a year. About 4 or 5 a year that are pay to play.
Some sites having trouble with attendance for free events. Requiring 50 a year tends to mount too many back to back to back. One remedy one city found. Offer free movies instead.
They should rename it “Chernobyl Parkway.”
WP- That’s why I think we should just build it privately without Levitt, and have the Parks Department rent it to whoever wants to use it, so we could actually make money from it, while still entertaining the masses.
Visit http://www.levittsiouxfalls.org for more info. Believe me, the option you mention was discussed at length when the Levitt Foundation partnership was in development.
Levitt Foundation’s participation has financial and non-financial benefit, both immediate and perpetual, that make Levitt’s naming rights and usage expectations well worth it for the city and its residents.
Yeah, just like those gigantic ugly MIDCO signs in Spellerberg Park. Can’t wait to see how much money we are flushing down the toilet on that deal.
How come back in the day we didn’t call the Arena the John Morrell Arena? Were we just stupid then and void of a profit motive? Or was it a time when we better understood that their should be a wall or a separation at least between government and corporate America?
That’s because back in those days the Unions forced companies to use their profits to pay a decent living wage.
Do you mean “those days” when CEOs made 20 times what their workers made (1965) versus 295 times what their workers make today?….. But then came along Ronny Reagan and the air traffic controller strike and the rest is history….
I don’t think any entertainment facility is “well worth it” until we find out what kind of entertainment will be presented. It’s already been established that 50 shows per year pretty much means a show every 3 or 4 days during the good weather period of the year. It’s also oh so vague as to what this entertainment will be. I’ve talked to local promoters who scoff at being involved. If it is indeed the types of acts that play Germanfest or any other official city event than there’s no reason for us to spend any money.
don’t worry, once trump guts the e.p.a, the land will be declared safe for business to make a profit.
OH for god sakes we don’t live on the north pole. It’s a damn park and band shell. Get a grip.
http://www.levittsteelstacks.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2016/05/levitt-2016-schedule-web.pdf
http://www.levittshell.org/fall-2016/