With all due respect to Five Finger Death Punch and its musical cohort, the Sunken Garden Theater should draw a, well, different class of music.

The heavy metal band, whose website notes that the group's followers are known as Knuckleheads, is bringing its Share the Welt Tour to San Antonio's historic outdoor amphitheater on Oct. 29. Other bands on the tour include All That Remains and Hatebreed.

Due to long-time neglect at the city-owned facility, low-budget metal bands are about as good as it gets at Sunken Garden, which debuted in 1930 with an opera. Gone are the days when the likes of Bob Dylan, Santana and Jerry Lee Lewis booked the venue.

But the ACE Theatrical Group, a first-tier operation that manages the Majestic and Empire theaters, has a plan to rehabilitate and revive one of the city's beautiful, historical treasures. ACE has a track record of redeveloping and nurturing such venues, along with the music industry connections to bring in a variety of talent that will appeal to broad segments of the community.

The firm plans to put $10 million into the redevelopment project and is asking that the city match that investment with $10 million in public funds. ACE would shoulder expenses and upkeep, which are now paid by the city.

ACE is bringing the proposal to the forefront now because citizen committees are launching the process for picking projects to put in the city's 2012 bond package. The theater investment is not included in city staff's proposals for the 2012 bond vote, but it merits examination.

The firm earlier received a memorandum of understanding from the city allowing it to explore the idea and negotiate a potential deal with the city.

The last serious discussion about redeveloping the Sunken Garden Theater was in 2004 after City Manager Terry Brechtel's recommendation that it be closed sparked protests.

ACE's proposal offers hope that was lacking in 2004.

Kirk Feldmann, ACE's chief operating officer, said the firm's plans include a major sound attenuation investment, a professionally managed traffic and parking plan and major upgrades in the stage and seating.

Feldmann said the theater would seat 5,500 to 6,000 patrons and would not be in competition with the state-of-the-art Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, which will be home to the San Antonio Symphony, opera, ballet and other performing arts. The Tobin center will have 1,761 seats and 27 boxes.

Notably, the city has lacked a mid-sized open-air concert venue since the sale of the Verizon Amphitheater to a church a couple of years ago. The city's rock and country concert scene has suffered as a result.

Under ACE's plan, community events such as the Taste of New Orleans would be encouraged to stay at Sunken Garden and enjoy a better environment.

Like all proposals for spending tax dollars, the plan should be weighed carefully before being pushed forward. But certainly, the Sunken Garden Theater deserves a better fate than a slow death through negligence.

bdavidson@express-news.net