Downtown Rotary Club optimistic about Acacia Park band shell project

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A project to revamp the Acacia Park band shell in downtown Colorado Springs will move forward despite a ballooning price tag, projected to reach $3.5-4 million.

On Monday, the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs presented its plan for the concert venue to Colorado Springs city council members.

Multiple city council members voiced their support for the project despite the rising cost. The Rotary Club's pitch was simple: This project is an investment that will benefit the city.

"Oh, I feel good," Trevor Dierdorff, President of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs, told KRDO13. "The city council is excited about this project... They think this is a project that needs to get done."

Among the upgrades to the band shell are a 2,000-square-foot dance floor, a 9,000-square-foot sloped lawn for audience members, and a renovated hub building with bathrooms that can serve 1,000 people. These are just some of the costs the Rotary Club says are necessary to make the project work long term.

"Our city needs a place to come together to really enjoy music and arts," Dierdorff said. "We don't have a mid-sized outdoor venue for us to do that. This was once a place where Colorado Springs gathered and celebrated together, and we're just bringing that back."

The Rotary Club says it would support tourism and business in the downtown area. It will hold a series of concerts every Thursday night during the summer, where the community can learn more about the band shell renovation.

To pay for the project, the rotary club says it's applied for $3 million in state and federal grants.

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