The canopy you’ve come to know at Metro Park could be going away for good.
The City of Jacksonville restricted access to the stage at Metro Park back in November, when they determined the stage canopy overhang was unsafe. The inspection report obtained by WOKV shows concerns about corrosion to cables and poles, wear from the weather, and more.
GALLERY: Inspection report shows problems with Metro Park stage canopy
WOKV has now confirmed through the Mayor’s Office that they are recommending the canopy for removal, following several recent reviews on the structural integrity. A bill will be filed in the near future for the Council to deliberate and vote on.
The bill will only address the canopy, according to a Mayor’s Office Spokeswoman. If the Council approves the removal, she says the stage itself will remain, but still have restricted access. She could not provide any details on why the stage would not be opened for use, including whether it needed any repairs.
There is currently no timeline for how quickly the removal would take place because it is still pending Council approval. Metro Park remains open to the public, except for the stage area.
This all comes as the City Council will get its first look Tuesday at a bill to reimburse a promoter for having to build a temporary stage for a concert he hosted shortly after the main stage was restricted. The bill reimburses Danny Wimmer Presents for close to $96,000 for main stage construction for “The Big Ticket”.
The reimbursement was a one-time thing, according to Councilman Tommy Hazouri, done because of the tight timeline and public safety risk of the stage as it was.
“It’s not suitable, it’s not safe, and it would be a big liability on the part of the City,” Hazouri says.
He says this will not be common practice for the City, however, and they are not reimbursing any more temporary construction relating to the closure. Despite that, he doesn’t think we will lose any substantial business by keeping the stage out of commission. He believes any promoter can still see the value of the park itself and would be willing to build any staging needed to take advantage of that.
“It’s going to be profitable for them, and certainly for the citizens of Jacksonville to enjoy that entertainment,” Hazouri says.
He further pointed to the amphitheater and flex field which will be built next to EverBank Field as new venues that could accommodate some of these events. Promoters for some of the larger concerts- like "The Big Ticket"- have previously told Council, however, that those spaces would not be big enough.
GALLERY: Renderings of the amphitheater and flex field
Hazouri thinks EverBank Field itself could also be an option for some of the bigger events.
There are no plans to rebuild the canopy at this time.
