Cost to study restoring historic Jackson Park bandshell would top $100k

It would cost $100,000 plus non-recoverable HST to conduct a study into the feasibility of restoring the historic band shell at Jackson Park.

That's according to a report going to the Standing Services Committee of Windsor City Council on Sept. 6.

The report was requested by Coun. Kieran McKenzie last Sept. 6, when he was on the committee. He made the request during a regular council meeting.

McKenzie feels, despite the cost of hiring a consultant, city council should move forward.

"Because I think we all understand in the community the heritage and historic value of that band shell, of the things that have happened here in this space over the years," said McKenzie.

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The band shell was built in 1959 and replaced one that burned down in 1957. It served as a centre piece for the entertainment during several years of the Emancipation Day festivals.

While the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the festival in 1956 and wouldn't have stood on the stage of the current building, other luminaries have attended over the years, such as Diana Ross and the Supremes and Stevie Wonder.

It is on the city's Municipal Heritage Register but has not been used for entertainment for several years, and has fallen into disrepair.

The report from Samantha Magalas, executive initiatives coordinator for the Parks and Facilities department, states one of the reasons the band shell has not been refurbished over the years is that "a section of the former seating area of the band shell currently sits on [public] School Board property which would provide significant challenges in having any sort of large gathering at the Jackson Park band shell location."

There is no money in the budget for the study or any restoration project so if council decided to go ahead with the project the money would have to be found somewhere.

James Chacko, the executive director of Parks and Facilities, said the building is structurally sound but a lot of work would have to go into it to make it compliant with  Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and any updates would have to consider the heritage designation..

"So there's a lot of things that have to be taken into consideration anytime you're looking at modernizing an older structure built in the 1950s," said Chacko.

The report also points out that most outdoor events and concerts are now being held at the Riverfront Festival Plaza, Lanspeary Park and an outdoor stage that is planned for the downtown Esplanade project.

"But I've seen the plans for that. It's kind of just a little stage. It's not something that would have equipment to really do full productions. Whereas this potentially could," said actor Leslie McCurdy, who is also chair of the Black Council of Windsor-Essex.

McCurdy and Lana Talbot, the heritage coordinator of the Sandwich First Baptist Church, believe the money should be spent to restore the structure because of its importance to the Black history of the area.

"I think that would be a feather in the City of Windsor's hat to have this band shell redone," said Talbot.

Both believe any money spent on it will be recouped by the tourism dollars it would attract.

The Standing Services Committee does not have to take any action on the report.

The report also states it would cost between $15,000 and $20,000 and non-recoverable HST if an environmental assessment is needed.