David Lindquist | IndyStar

David Lindquist, david.lindquist@indystar.com

Olivia Corya/IndyStar

A permanent stage will be the first element of an upgraded Lawn at White River State Park thanks to an $8.7 million allocation approved Tuesday by the Indiana State Budget Agency.

The White River State Park Development Commission plans to begin building the stage at the open-air concert venue next month, Executive Director Carolene Mays-Medley said during a budget agency meeting in Terre Haute.

Budget committee members voted 4-1 to release $8.7 million to the White River State Park Development Commission, which has $12 million designated for construction projects in the 2017-19 state budget. Mays-Medley said $3.3 million will be used for future projects unrelated to the concert venue.

The permanent stage is part of a $27 million Lawn project that includes a new "shed"-like canopy above fixed seating for 2,000 attendees. General-admission lawn seating for about 4,800 would be available behind the fixed seating.

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The White River State Park Development Commission wants the canopy and fixed seating to be built after the 2019 summer concert season if additional funding from concert company Live Nation and philanthropic sources comes through.

Mays-Medley said the park is seeking $10 million from philanthropic sources and between $8 million and $8.7 million from Live Nation.

Live Nation, which owns Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in Noblesville, launched a public-private partnership with the White River State Park Development Commission in 2004. The roster of performers who have played the Lawn includes Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, Florence & the Machine and Cage the Elephant.

Mays-Medley said the development commission and Live Nation have yet to reach an agreement on Live Nation's participation in the Lawn's makeover, but she cited a "letter of interest and intent" from the company that owns or operates more than 100 venues in North America and Europe.

Regarding philanthropic sources, Mays-Medley said former NCAA chief operating officer Jim Isch will lead fundraising efforts.

Mays-Medley predicted the new-look Lawn at White River State Park would present more shows and higher-profile acts when compared with the present venue.

She mentioned a Live Nation venue in Nashville, Tennessee, as an example of a successful concert site featuring a permanent stage and some fixed seating along a downtown river. The 6,800-capacity Ascend Amphitheater, built for $52 million in 2015, presents nearly 60 concerts each year, Mays-Medley said.

The Lawn at White River State Park presented about 25 shows this year.

During its early seasons, the Lawn featured a stage that was built and dismantled for every show. Since 2007, the venue's stage has been built each spring and taken down in the fall.

Construction between November and next spring will focus on the permanent stage, new restrooms and infrastructure improvements.

The second phase of construction following the 2019 concert season would include the canopy, fixed seating, a VIP lounge and artist amenities.

Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.