Plans are underway to revamp decaying stage in Acacia Park

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-  The Rotary Club of Colorado Springs has announced its intention to renovate and adopt the historic Bandshell stage in Acacia Park.

The stage has been around since 1914, and looking at it now, it visibly needs an upgrade. After getting approval from the city, the Rotary Group says it will be investing $50,000 to start the process.

A musician we spoke to, who is also a native of Colorado Springs, says it was once a hub for communal enjoyment, and now it's decaying.

"I'm just excited somebody wants to do something, you know... It's very seldom these days that you win at anything," Chuck Snow, local musician.

Chuck Snow started a Facebook page in 2020 to express his passion for ensuring the historic stage doesn't get demoed, and the following quickly grew.

He says many others in the community shared the same passion, and now that the Rotary Group is adapting the stage, he feels a sense of accomplishment.

"I didn't want to see something that was part of my youth...get... ripped down just for the sake of putting something else in there," says Snow.

The Rotary Club tells me they intend to make some changes, but will prioritize preserving its history.

"Here's a structure that's already got good bones. It just needs some love and care... It's really important that when we do this renovation, that we're respecting the historical attributes of the structure so that we can have modern functionality, but still keep the ties to the past," says Trevor Dierdorff, the president of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs.

The Rotary has set up a website where you can donate to the cause here.

Dierdorff says that all the funds will go to the construction and long-term plans to keep programs in attendance at the park.

"Once this thing opens, you know, we're going to be one of the first... ones booked," says a local artist.

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