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DEL.ICIO.USDeal signed to build Alpharetta amphitheater
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Still years away from opening a long-planned new concert hall in Midtown, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday signed a deal to build Encore Park for the Arts, a $35 million amphitheater in Alpharetta.
The 12,000-seat venue, planned for 45 wooded acres across Ga. 400 from North Point Mall, is expected to open in May 2008. The park would host a variety of events, from big-name pop acts and touring Broadway shows to community affairs such as high school band shows and graduation ceremonies, as well as a few summertime ASO performances.
The North Fulton County amphitheater, which will be financed by a bond issue, will be owned and operated by the ASO and, officials hope, become “a major revenue stream” for the symphony.
“Encore Park extends our footprint northward of [Atlanta], following growth where it leads us,” said the Atlanta Symphony’s chief financial officer, Don Fox, who has overseen planning for the project for the past three years. Fox termed the new venue “part of the solution to [the ASO’s] larger financial health.”
Although the ASO expects to have architectural plans drawn up by March, and hopes to break ground soon after, the basics have already been decided. The amphitheater will be located on a natural, bowl-shaped hillside. Stage facilities will be modern, with a fan-shaped roof covering 7,000 seats and space for another 5,000 patrons on the lawn.
Talk about it: Would you attend concerts at the Encore Park for the Arts?
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