There's a new 2,200-seat amphitheater in the future of Fayetteville, Arkansas eventgoers.
At an Aug. 16 city council meeting, first phase plans of the Villages Amphitheater, named for its proposed location in the Villages at LaFayette Park were unveiled. Hoping for a July 2002 debut, construction should begin within three months with a June completion date.
The new shed will have 1,500 permanent seats and 700 lawn seats, with full-service concession facilities, multiple bathrooms, an orchestra section and state-of-the-art stage facilities.
The project will be financed with a 20-year bond, reports the Fayetteville Citizen. Debt service is expected to be met by a combination of impact fees, user fees and hotel-motel tax revenues. Af the end of the amphitheater presentation, the city council approved a 2 percent increase in the hotel-motel tax.
The amphitheater will be owned by the Downtown Development Authority and managed by Main Street.
Main Street Manager Nancy Price hopes to have a variety of theater, youth orchestra and other cultural events intermixed with a limited number of higher-end events; the facility will also be available for rental.
