A permanent concert stage for Lansing's Adado Riverfront Park? Check out these plans

LANSING — Would a new stage draw more concerts to Lansing?

Local leaders say upgrades to Adado Riverfront Park could do just that.

A proposal, still in early planning, would add a permanent covered stage to the area of the park near Grand Avenue and East Shiawassee Street.

The lawn in front of the stage would have capacity for 15,000 people.

Adado Park, located at the edge of Lansing's downtown, already hosts several music festivals, including Common Ground and Prime. Those events use temporary stages.

Mark King, a concert promoter and marketing director for MKE Worldwide,said the lack of a permanent stage is a hindrance, because it takes time and money to set up tents and take them down again.

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King is optimistic about plans to update Adado park, adding that Lansing could have a more robust music scene if the needed facilities were available.

"It's time," he said.

A steering committee has been exploring updates to Adado Park for more than four years. Members heard public feedback during forums in December 2017.

The committee selected SmithGroupJJR, a Detroit-based firm, to design the project.

The design phase cost about $80,000, half of which was funded through a National Endowment for the Arts grant. The city paid the remaining $40,000.

The project's construction cost is not yet known, said Deborah Mikula, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing. The committee is exploring funding options, including private donations and public grants.

Organizers do not have a timeline on when the project would break ground or when it would be completed, Mikula said. Next steps will include developing a business and operations plan.

Because the park sits in a floodplain, the design phase involved a hydraulics study. That's key, King said, noting that festivals like Common Ground can devolve into a muddy mess in rain and wet conditions.

Presentations from SmithGroupJJR incorporated plans to address drainage.

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There would be no permanent seats in the park — instead, attendees could stand or bring their own lawn chairs.

Mikula said that layout is intended to create flexibility.

"We wanted to recognize that there's also a demand for more intimate gatherings," Mikula said.

The proposal includes a plaza with umbrellas, tables and chairs. The plaza would separate the larger, 15,000-person lawn from a smaller event lawn, near East Saginaw Street and Grand Avenue, with room for up to 5,600 additional people.

"The stage is understandably getting attention as the sexiest part of the project," said Scott Keith, president and CEO of the Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority. "It's more than that. I like to call it an up-do for the entire park.

Also encompassed in the proposal are wider riverfront sidewalks, which could accommodate tents for events like art fairs and the Lansing Board of Water & Light Chili Cook-off.

"Access to the river is one of Lansing's most important assets and we need to treat it that way." Keith said. "This is like our Central Park."

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.