The Louisville City Council has approved repairs to the Steinbaugh Pavilion so that it can host summer and winter events, and also to include a mobile stage for summer concerts.
During a special meeting Monday, the council voted 6-1 to repair the Steinbaugh Pavilion for the summer and winter seasons, with an allowance of up to $25,000 to continue renting a mobile stage set-up for the Louisville Street Faire concerts. Councilmember Caleb Dickinson voted against the measure.
On June 17, Louisville announced there was a structural issue on the roof of the Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St., and it was reported unsafe for future use. The Pavilion is temporarily closed.
The Pavilion, inaugurated for the summer concert series in 2003, has a deep history in Louisville. It was fashioned from the structure of a barn located in the Steinbaugh lumberyard.
During the closure, the Louisville Street Faire and Louisville Farmer’s Market has continued along Front Street. A mobile stage was set up in front of the Louisville Public Library for the June 21 and June 28 shows.
Kurt Kowar, director of public works for Louisville, said the city has spent approximately $25,000 to stabilize the structure for the summer season, by reinforcing the trusses. But another $25,000-$35,000 will be needed to stabilize it for the winter season and other future uses.
The Pavilion also hosts the Old Town Skate ice rink throughout the winter season. Kowar said that the winter repairs will require the city to build a second redundant truss system next to the existing trusses, essentially “putting up a new roof within a roof.”
“We start to quickly get away from that aesthetic and that historical character. We’re also starting to get to a point where there’s 7,000 screws put into this thing for phase one,” Kowar said, “This thing is becoming Swiss cheese, to keep it standing.”
Kowar said the original structure is at the end of its useful life, and will need part replacements soon. He also added that repairs will make disassembly and reassembly difficult, if the city plans to relocate or historically preserve the structure.
Louisville has been working on its Downtown Vision Plan that would significantly improve the Pavilion area, and could be implemented in the next few years, Kowar said. The Louisville Revitalization Commission passed a resolution June 26 to start the process to bond up to $10 million for infrastructure improvements, within the Highway 42 Urban Renewal Authority.
Lawrence Anderson, general manager for the Faire, and Rick Kron, president of the Downtown Business Association, said the council needs to keep the ice rink in mind, as it is crucial toward getting people downtown during the winter months.
“The loss of Winter Skate is huge for the retail sector, particularly in downtown,” Kron said.
Kowar said city staff will look at other options for Winter Skate, and if there was a better location for Winter Skate that costs less than the cost to repair the Pavilion for the winter season, then the city should explore that option.
Multiple council members and residents, during the June 26 public comment period, mentioned that the concert was more enjoyable on the mobile stage rather than in the Pavilion. The council voted to continue experimenting with the mobile stage set-up along Front Street, for a cost to not exceed $25,000.
