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Marguerite Ross, of Fayetteville, dressed as Thomas Jefferson, spoke against the Onondaga Lake amphitheater project.

(Marnie Eisenstadt | Meisenstadt@syracuse.com)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Onondaga County will borrow $49.5 million to build an amphitheater on the western edge of Onondaga Lake.

After more than an hour of discussion, county legislators voted 12 to five to borrow the money needed. Legislator Linda Ervin, D-Jamesville, changed her mind at the last minute. Ervin had been opposed to the project but said today that creating some jobs was better than doing nothing at all.

"It pains me to say that this project is not the best project in the world, but in the immediate near future, it is a project that will give us jobs and open doors for women and people of color," Ervin said. "For that reason, in the grand scheme of things, I think it is the right thing to do."

Legislators Kevin Holmquist, Peggy Chase, Judy Tassone, Kathy Rapp and Casey Jordan also voted against the amphitheater. If Ervin hadn't changed her mind, the project would have failed.

The amphitheater is a part of a $100 million economic development project that will also spruce up Solvay, renovating senior housing and rehabbing storefronts.

The county will receive $30 million from the state for the projects in Solvay. The amphitheater will be funded solely with the borrowed money.

Holmquist, who has been the project's loudest opponent, said he doubted whether the amphitheater would turn a profit. Before the vote, he said the project was jammed through.

"If you were going to build a shed in your backyard, you'd have more public hearings than we've had here. If you were going to build a subdivision, it would take far longer," Holmquist said. He said the amphitheater was doomed to fail.

In a public hearing before the vote, trade union representatives asked legislators to approve the amphitheater, saying it would be good for their workers and the community.

Legislator Patrick Kilmartin disputed Holmquist's assertion that the project had been jammed through not properly vetted. He said the project has had immense scrutiny.

Kilmartin likened the amphitheater project to the tax breaks granted to Destiny USA, which he called a success. Kilmartin said the vast support -- from private authorities to municipalities -- is an indication of the amphitheater project's worth.

The county is planning to pay off the debt with $2.5 million

in state gambling money that it expects to receive yearly.

The outdoor concert venue will be managed by SMG through at least 2016. That's the same company that manages the Oncenter. Executives with that company have said that the amphitheater will need 12 acts a year to turn a profit.

The county plans to charge between $3 and $6 a ticket, which should generate between $600,000 and $1.2 million. That, county officials said, should be enough to finance the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the venue.

Contact Marnie Eisenstadt anytime: email | twitter | 315-470-2246.

