SAN ANGELO, Texas — The City of San Angelo moved closer to approving major renovations to the Bill Aylor Sr. Memorial RiverStage at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Civic Events Manager Sidney Walker presented council with a two-year, two-phase plan that would make considerable changes to the venue, including modifications to the box office/concession stand and entry canopy, storage and green rooms, loading dock, and add extended hillside seating, irrigation and landscaping.
The RiverStage has not been renovated since its opening in 1987.
The proposal also included plans to address ADA issues, including the existing restrooms and relocation of the current fencing at the plaza, construction of new restroom building alongside the existing restrooms, new sewer lift station for the new restrooms/concession building, site work, main seating structure, arbor walk, entry towers, new ticketing office and digital signage.
Another main issue that would be addressed would be the driveway down to the stage, which has damaged artist buses in the past.
“Most artists that are coming into the city are driving in on buses these days,” Walker said. “Last year in March when Ice Cube came to our city, he left us his muffler because he could not get down to the area.”
On Jan 26, the Civic Events Advisory Board recommended moving forward with renovations to the River Stage without a funding source addressed.
Estimated cost for the renovations would be $1.6M the first year, and $3.7M the second. Funding for year one would come from the convention center renovations project from the civic events fund to hotel occupancy tax fund; the civic events fund balance over 90 days; and a general fund contribution.
Funding for year two would come from the potential general debt service fund and future departmental revenue.
Mayor Brenda Gunter and the RiverStage’s District 3 Councilman Harold Thomas expressed their support for the renovations.
“The RiverStage is one of our greatest assets. We are so privileged to have a river that runs through our downtown area… The number of people who will continue to look at using the RiverStage will be dramatically increased based off of even year-one improvements,” Gunter said. “We can’t continue to call this an asset for the City, if don’t make some investments in this asset. We need to identify a game plan and start this process.”
“This is right in the middle of District 3, and I don’t see a better way to utilize funds to try to upgrade this facility, for future concerts, for the comfort of the people that come and support those concerts, so I agree with the mayor, we need to do this," Thomas said.
The facility's ADA issues were further discussed at a Town Hall meeting Tuesday night. No vote was taken at the Council meeting.
