Oswego OKs firm to design proposed amphitheater

With plans to complete its proposed community amphitheater by year’s end, the village of Oswego is moving swiftly to ensure it stays on a timeline to see that happen.

On Tuesday evening, Jan. 14, the village board voted to hire local design firm Schoppe Design Associates Inc. for a total of $20,300 to begin the first phase of bringing the venue to life.

SDA will first prepare a conceptual plan for the donated 3-acre site that will show how the site could be developed. A steering team and a stakeholder team will then begin to plan the site in more detail.

The village contractually has three years to finish the venue based on an agreement made last year with the previous landowner, Kevin Fialko, who donated the site just west of the village’s former Metra Park-n-Ride lot near the northwest corner of Orchard and Mill roads to the village.

Several village trustees, however, remain concerned about a lack of logistics and funding for the project. Village staff estimates the cost to be between $750,000 and $1 million.

“What’s the hurry?” Trustee Pam Parr questioned. “Where’s the money coming from? I’m uncomfortable having this [design] discussion before we’ve even talked about our budget. I have a list of strategic priorities from October, and [this project] isn’t even in the top two-thirds. Is the best use of that money in an entertainment venue when we have to make a decision sometime this year about an alternative water source?”

Parr said she’d like to see the project move at a slower pace.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” she said. “I just question the timing and the funding.”

By the discussion’s end, Trustee Luis Perez was on Parr’s side. Previously thinking that a 2020 opening date was too far out, Perez said that in light of many looming questions his mind has been changed.

“When we took this land, it was decided that we had three years [to put this venue together],” he said. “What’s become evident to me is that it would best serve the board to use some more time. After witnessing this meeting, I’m falling more in love with the three-year [timeline]. October 2022 doesn’t scare me anymore.”

According to Village Administrator Dan DiSanto, Tuesday’s hiring of a design firm is only the beginning step of the process to build and run the venue. It will allow the village to choose basic and premium options they’d like to see featured in the bandshell and help secure a construction budget, all necessary steps in moving forward with the project. He pointed out that funding likely would come from the sale of the old police station, grants, fundraising, sponsorship, donations and other sources. The board also would have the option to charge users a fee to recoup building costs.

In the end, Tuesday’s vote was about one thing: kicking off the process and hiring a firm to get the ball rolling.

“This isn’t committing $1 million from the general fund,” Trustee James Marter said. “This is fact finding.”

Perez cast the only dissenting vote.