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Band Shell Construction Begins At Dickinson

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Band Shell Construction Begins At Dickinson

By Kendra Bobowick

Robert Fritzinger stood at the brink of a five-foot-deep hole big enough to swallow the excavator used to dig it.

He and Dan Murtha — both with the Parks and Recreation Department — worked Wednesday to dig out holes for concrete footings to support a band shell that will soon provide cover for performers at Dickinson Park. As they dug down, they hit ground water, according to Mr Fritzinger, and they needed to go in and drain it before pouring concrete, he said. Mr Murtha stepped down from the excavator momentarily to take a look at his work.

Placed in the ditches are wooden cubes four-and-a-half feet tall and several feet in diameter that they will fill with concrete and reinforce with rebar. With four of those footings in place to support a platform in front and back, park crews will then frame and pour the concrete flooring for the band shell. Support beams and a roof structure are already stored and waiting for assembly.

The band shell will be roughly 22 feet wide and triangular in shape once finished. Mr Fritzinger hopes to see the project completed by the end of August.

The structure will face an open field with FunSpace to the left and the skate park on the right in the distance. A gravel walking path and trees will be closest to the structure. With the trees remaining in place, Mr Fritzinger said, “People can sit in the shade in the early evening,” for the department’s summer concert series, for example.

Regarding the current work, he said, “You’ll see a lot of progress by next week. Once the footings are in, this will go quickly.”

He estimates that they will be pouring concrete by Monday, August 6.

The concrete will need to rest for as long as 48 hours before his crew installs a platform. Once the structure is in place, it will be wired for electricity.

Parks and Recreation Director Amy Mangold has explained the advantages of a band shell at the park. “We wanted to improve the [concert] experience and it’s in line with improving Dickinson Park,” she said. “It will provide shelter from the environment when bands perform.” A $15,000 item in the approved 2011-2012 budget under concert series enhancements will cover the band shell costs. Parks and Recreation staff will complete the work, she said.

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