The iconic amphitheater in Long’s Park needs a new roof and its caretakers are going after state grant money to make that happen.
“It’s made from a type of mylar that isn’t available anymore,” said Tom Ellis, president of Long’s Park Amphitheater Foundation. “That’s why the patching and repairs aren’t going to work anymore. But there are alternatives in today’s market that would give it the same appearance.”
Ellis was among eight people who this week asked Lancaster City Council to submit, on behalf of their organizations, applications for state Local Share Grants. Those grants can be for up to $1 million and are funded by state gaming revenues distributed through the Commonwealth Financing Authority.
Council will vote on Oct. 10 on whether to submit each request.
Long’s Park Amphitheater Foundation is asking for $945,000. Of that, $670,000 would go toward the roof, Ellis said.
“The rest of it is a bit moot,” he told council. “If we can’t repair or replace the roof – because it is beyond maintenance – then the infrastructure, the stage the electrical and everything else would simply be irrelevant.”
Ellis said $40,000 of repairs have previously been made to the roof and lighting system. New lighting is needed as the current system does not allow LED, Ellis said. The stage is showing signs of age and the gravel tarmac behind the amphitheater – which people use to access restrooms – is restrictive to visitors in wheelchairs and should be upgraded to concrete or asphalt, he said. The overflow green room needs work as does the landscaping, he said.
Long’s Park has hosted 13 public concerts just about every summer – with musicians like Count Basie and Frankie Avalon having played there. The concerts are free to attend and the foundation relies on volunteers. Ellis made a pitch at council for anyone interested in helping to reach out. He said after the meeting that he doesn’t want to burn out the existing crew and is looking for people willing to volunteer at one or two concerts each year.
Last year, to mark the amphitheaters’ 60th anniversary, architect Gregory Scott spoke at a foundation gala about such things as why the roof appears to float. He told LNP | LancasterOnline around that time that the roof – which he calls a “hybrid hyperbolic paraboloid” – is supported by three beams on either side of the stage, anchored by concrete, which are linked together underground.
Ellis said after the meeting that those beams are in good structural shape and would not need to be replaced. The foundation sought and received bids for a different type of mylar than the material that is there now, as well as bids for tin. The original roofing was from Armstrong World Industries. The material, called Hypolon, was new at the time.
“We think we have a two-year window to do this,” Ellis said. “Short of anything like a branch or a limb puncturing it, we could actually do this between the ’25 and ’26 seasons.”
Other applications that the city is being asked to submit include:
– Bethel African Historical Services is requesting $965,000 for a cultural center renovation project at the Harvey H.B. Sparkman Cultural Center. The grant would be for a HVAC system and replacement of all 93 windows. Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church is hosting a groundbreaking on Oct. 15 for the first phase of redevelopment to the Bethel Campus.
– Bright Side Opportunities Center is seeking $650,000 to be used for campus and facilities updates including the parking lot and roof of the 19-year-old building.
– Chestnut Housing is seeking $500,000 to be used for Chestnut Housing’s development of Millburn Apartments, which will be eight affordable housing units on Rockland Avenue. Chestnut Housing was already approved for $550,000 of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project. Revised budget figures now put the projected cost at $2.27 million, an increase of about $300,000 over what was originally budgeted. This grant application is one of the sources being sought to cover the gap.
– Lancaster EMS is seeking $106,730 for new fleet maintenance equipment. EMS organizations across the country are facing a shortage of new vehicles and Lancaster EMS, which usually buys two new vehicles per year, hasn’t received a new once since 2021, said CFO Joanne Weidman. She said current estimates are now for the end of 2024 or 2025 and told council that makes maintenance of its 58 vehicles (21 of them ambulances) more crucial. Lancaster EMS recently bought land on Fairview Avenue and will relocate its maintenance to a new building there. The grant would cover related equipment including an alignment machine.
“We’re trying to keep this aging fleet of vehicles maintained at reasonable cost in house,” she said. “It would reduce the number of times that an ambulance is out of service. An ambulance is out of service? (That means) longer response times and increased negative outcomes for patients.”
– Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition is Requesting $800,000 for renovations to The Loop, which provides a coworking hub for community partners, low-cost artist studio spaces and an emergency overnight shelter.
– Patients R Waiting is asking for $1 million to put toward creating the Black Doctor Factory — a corporate headquarters for the organization that started in 2019 and aims to eliminate health disparities by increasing diversity in medicine.
– South Ann Concerned Neighbors is seeking $550,000 to put toward construction costs of its project at 602 Stevens Ave. Per a letter to council, that project is expected to include a fresh food mart and pizza shop on the first floor with affordable housing above. Council previously approved $250,000 of its ARPA funds toward the project.
South Ann Concerned Neighbors was already awarded a Share Grant through last year’s round of grants. Also receiving them last time were the Spanish American Civic Association, Tenfold and YWCA Lancaster, said Tina Campbell, the city’s director of administrative services. She said decisions about the grant requests won’t be made at the state level until next year, most likely spring or later.
