Mason City council starts bidding process for construction of Performing Arts Pavilion
MASON CITY — The City Council in Mason City last night approved a resolution setting the public hearing date to receive bids as well as approved the plans and specifications for the Performing Arts Pavilion that’s part of the River City Renaissance project. The project will transform the north entrance of Southbridge Mall into an indoor-outdoor performing arts area.
Scott Blum with Accord Architecture says the pavilion will be able to serve several performing groups. “These spaces both inside and outside are designed in a way that’s going to allow all the different bands to play in there. It’s just kind of going to be a matter of how much they come out of the actual defined pavilion portion into the area where maybe people are viewing this and listening to it.”
City Administrator Aaron Burnett says he met on Tuesday with some of the businesses in the plaza just to the north of Southbridge Mall where the pavilion would be constructed. He says those businesses showed their support for the project. “The architects and I met with I think the two most immediate owners, and they are very, very supportive of this project. They believe that this is a much-needed project. I think there’s going to always have to be cooperation when you have that sort of presence. Main Street has been involved in the project, the Chamber has been involved in the project. I think as far as worrying about will it be an impediment to business, I think the business owners in that area are very supportive of this project.”
Chamber president Robin Anderson says the indoor pavilion would be used for things like Band Festival when it rains. “Right now if it rains we just have to write a check to the band and everybody goes home and this will enable us to have it on the indoor part of the pavilion.”
Principal Financial has already secured the naming rights to the pavilion through a generous donation. The council would approve a winning bid for the project at their March 17th meeting.
