Plans for a new amphitheater at Sandcastle are washed out again this year -- and maybe for good.
A mid-sized concert venue that once occupied Station Square was expected to open at the West Homestead water park this spring, but the project -- set back last year by construction delays -- is a no-go again, said a spokesman with the company that planned to develop the site.
"We are still considering the location for a site to develop a boutique (5,000-seat) amphitheater in the future," but details haven't been worked out, Live Nation spokesman John Vlautin wrote in an e-mail.
Live Nation, a California-based concert promoter and venue developer, operated the former Chevrolet Amphitheatre at Station Square. The company announced in January 2007 that it would open a similar-sized amphitheater at Sandcastle.
The concert promoter planned to build the venue near the Monongahela River behind a Costco store at The Waterfront. Four months later, Live Nation announced the amphitheater wouldn't immediately open because of problems with construction scheduling and obtaining permits.
Sandcastle officials say they have not heard details about the project's future but are hopeful it will be completed.
"The final decision on the fate for the amphitheater is in the hands of Live Nation," said Jeff Flicko, spokesman for Kennywood Entertainment, which operates Sandcastle.
Vlautin said the decision not to open this summer has nothing to do with a music festival coming to the SouthSide Works in August. The New American Music Union Festival will be Aug. 8 and 9 in the town square area near the Cheesecake Factory. Bob Dylan will headline the event.
Until plans for the Sandcastle amphitheater are finalized, the water park will work with what it has -- the Riverplex, a 400,000 square-foot outdoor venue near the river that's used for entertainment, games and activities, park manager Scott MacKay said.
The site hasn't been used regularly, but electrical upgrades and stage improvements scheduled to be completed before the park opens June 7 should make it more attractive for festivals and small concerts, he said.
"We decided we'd start to do this on our own, even if it's just a grass-roots effort," MacKay said.
Riverplex is scheduled to sponsor corporate events and four festivals this summer, including the Pittsburgh Irish Festival, Festa Italiana, Oktoberfest and a summer oldies jam. MacKay said the park plans to make the Riverplex available for more concerts and festivals next year.
By Jodi Weigand
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, May 29, 2008
