Parks committee discusses Ralph Bunche amphitheater project

The City of Benton Parks Committee discussed several projects during its meeting Tuesday.

Plans were made to continue with the Ralph Bunche amphitheater, update the city’s concession contracts, and continue to move forward with Benton Park’s 2040 vision.

Council member Junior Rodemeyer opened the meeting with updates on the Ralph Bunche Amphitheater project.

The budget for the project is $350,000, with 90 percent of funds already secured through certificates of deposit (CDS). The committee is now seeking approval to open bids.

Rodemeyer noted that the bidding process would be modeled after the mountain bike park, with a cap of $350,000. The motion was carried with unanimous approval.

“We really do need this done and we appreciate it,”

said council member Evelyn Reed.

The committee then discussed the concession contract with Scott Hill, which is ending this year. The committee expressed its intention to release an updated Request for Proposal (RFP) for concessions, with the aim of increasing profits 15 percent, as outlined by Rodemeyer.

“This was the original number that we’ve done with all of our concession contracts prior to COVID,” said Rodemeyer. “When COVID started, we dropped that down to 10.5 percent.”

The motion was carried with unanimous approval.

The Benton Parks Department plans to gather public feedback on capital improvement projects from the Parks Master Plan for the 2040 vision.

A series of meetings will be held to focus on the new soccer complex. The meetings, set for 6 to 7 p.m., will include sessions on Sep. 7, Sep. 28, and Oct. 17 at the council chambers to review various stages of the project.

“We have plans for that and an area for those and where that conceptual park is going from the purchase of the Thomas property,” said council member Jeff Hamm.

As an update, repairs to the Lyle Park steps are nearing completion, with only final touches and cleaning remaining, the committee learned. Additionally, the mountain bike park is on track to commence construction in early September.

On top of these upcoming projects, Benton Park has had a busy summer. In the last week alone hosted multiple events including the Back-to

SCARLETT CASTLEBERRY/ The Saline Courier A sign in Ralph Bunche Park reading “amphitheater’ is shown on Wednesday. The Benton Parks Committee discussed plans for the construction of a new amphitheater during Tuesday’s meeting.