But a proposed amphitheater that seats 10,000 and would allow for concerts at the park might attract even more tourists, and their money, to the county, Kelly Barkley, the community relations coordinator for Metro Parks of Butler County said.
New park upgrades, however, won’t start until MetroParks can convince private sponsors to offer up some cash for the West Chester attraction, which sits near Liberty Way and Butler Warren, Tylersville and Cox Roads.
“We knew we were going to be looking for those private investors,” Barkley said. “We’re not going to keep going back to the taxpayers (for the projects).”
MetroPark used $2 million from its budget, which is partially funded through local tax dollars, to finance the construction of new athletic fields. The Butler County Visitors Bureau kicked in another $1 million. For the latest additional upgrades, such as a dog park pond, fieldhouse, bathrooms and amphitheater, the park has begun shopping out the naming rights to various sponsors who might finance the projects. She said the parks system is offering anyone who sponsors upgrades to have some control over how the final design looks.
Barkley declined to release details about the possible sponsors — and she didn’t have a specific estimate to the cost of the proposed park upgrades — but called the planned park additions a “multi-million-dollar effort.”
The proposed amphitheater, Barkley said, would seat roughly 3,500 under a cover and another roughly 6,000 on a lawn area.
New upgrades would be a benefit to the athletic fields that will open in 2014 at the park and could help catch the eye of soccer, rugby or lacrosse event organizers, Hecquet said.
“The more amenities out there, the better,” Hecquet said of the additional plans. “It will enhance the marketability of the new venues. The fields are just one part of (the park). The additional enhancement are critical.”
Antonio Fails, 33, of West Chester Twp., runs weekly at the Voice of America Park. He hopes to see new water fountains installed around the park trail and agreed that an amphitheater would attract more users.
“I try to come out here as much as possible,” Fails said. “(The park) is quiet; I enjoy spending time with my family.”
Barkley said MetroParks officials are also working on unveiling plans to upgrade Rentschler Forest MetroPark, Chrisholm MetroPark; Woodsdale Regional Park and Forest Run MetroPark in Butler County.
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