City Council approves construction cost for amphitheater

By Doug Spoon, Editor

By a 3-2 vote, the Menifee City Council Wednesday approved the construction cost for an amphitheater structure to be built at Central Park in Menifee Town Center.

The construction contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Optima RPM Inc., for $5.1 million. In addition, two other motions for additional funding were approved for construction management ($855,091) and design support ($125,000) for a total cost of $6.1 million. That is in addition to $500,000 previously paid to the TY Lin Company for design services.

Staff presenting the agenda item referred to increasing construction costs since the COVID-19 pandemic as a primary reason for a large increase over the original estimate for the project. When the design contract was awarded in March 2021, the estimated total cost of the project was $3.9 million.

Council members Lesa Sobek and Dean Deines, who served on the ad hoc committee regarding the project, voted in favor of the proposal. Also voting yes was Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin, who voted to approve despite his concerns over the cost.

Mayor Bill Zimmerman, who voted against the original cost in 2021, voted no again this time, calling the project unaffordable. Also voting no was council member Ricky Estrada.

The structure will be an arching shade cover over the existing cement stage, with a prep room in back. The height of the arch will be 30 feet. Supporters say it will be an iconic arts venue that will be a popular gathering place for Menifee residents and others in the region.

“We have an opportunity to approve this iconic, sophisticated structure that will say ‘Menifee’,” Sobek said. “This will give people somewhere to go. They won’t have to go to the Hollywood Bowl. We can sit with our family and neighbors and see local bands and outdoor pageants.”

Zimmerman, an avid supporter of the arts, said he couldn’t justify the nearly $7 million price tag.

“The design is beautiful, it’s stupendous, marvelous … but I’ve said it before, I have sticker shock at the price tag. I get it. We want to be a premier location for the arts. But because I’ve said it was too expensive in the past, I am going to stay consistent and say I can’t support this. It’s unaffordable.”

Estrada said, “I think the money could be better spent on so many other projects. I get that it would add a place of purpose, but there’s a brand new stadium at the college that’s perfect for this kind of thing. This is just a big concrete slab with a cover over it.”

There is no seating element to the project. The plan is for guests to sit on their own chairs or on blankets on the lawn, as is the case with Murrieta’s Town Square Park venue. There also is no audio-visual equipment included in the project, with the thinking that acts who perform can supply their own sound system.

Only 6 percent of the funding will come from the city’s General Fund. The rest comes from funds paid by developers and funds restricted to use for parks and recreation. Although that was mentioned in the staff presentation, Sobek reminded the audience of that fact during her comments.

“These funds are restricted,” she said. “They can’t be used for roads and that kind of infrastructure. This goes toward social infrastructure.”

Estrada raised concerns about whether a parking lot planned for the future adjacent City Hall would be sufficient to handle crowds for amphitheater events. He was told that more than 300 parking spots would be included in that lot, which wouldn’t be used for city business in the evening hours.

In addition, supporters of the project point to a pedestrian bridge that will be built across Paloma Wash, connecting a shopping center parking lot with Central Park. The purchase of a prefabricated covered bridge, at a cost of $812,746, was approved in a separate action on Wednesday.

Deines acknowledged the high cost of the project but added, “Prices don’t go down. If we want this later, we pay more. This will benefit the city in the long run.”

It became obvious that Karwin was going to be the swing vote.

“There’s a lot of things about this project I like. However, it’s $7 million. Man, that’s a lot of money," he said. "I have gone back and forth on this thing for days. I do wish it was not as elaborate.

“But if we want to do it in 10 years, will it cost $13 million? Out of pocket, it’s not a huge part of the General Fund. It comes down to, do we want to do 14 small things around the city or drop a big rock and make a splash? Based on the way we want the city to look, it’s best we do it now.”