Ojai’s Libbey Bowl amphitheater took its final bow when it was demolished Tuesday, as the project to replace the crumbling, termite-ridden structure moved forward with finality.
“A whole 2 1/2 years of work is culminating, and we’re finally moving forward in what is the most visible stroke possible — tearing down the old amphitheater,” Ojai Music Festival Director Jeff Haydon said of the structure built for $12,000 in 1957.
“It’s always been a fight at the bowl to race with the termites and rot to keep it from coming down and the community won. This year, we were barely able to keep the bowl structurally sound enough to keep it open.”
Funding for the Libbey Bowl reconstruction project hit a small snag on June 16, when the Ojai City Council delayed awarding a $2.4 million renovation contract to McGillivray Construction Inc. The council was concerned the city would have to advance the funds from its reserves for the project to proceed with an ambitious schedule to reopen it in time for the 2011 Ojai Music Festival.
After a public outcry and reassurances from the Save the Libbey Bowl Campaign, which is raising funds for the renovation, council members Betsy Clapp and Sue Horgan joined council members Steve Olsen and Carol Smith in approving the funding on June 22.
“We’re all very excited the project is under way. I know that there’s an aggressive construction schedule and we’re glad to see contractors jumped right on it,” Ojai City Manager Jere Kersnar said. “It’s always difficult to put together a complicated project with multiple funding sources, but it’s gratifying to get to this point.”
Haydon said he is looking to the day when the new amphitheater is unveiled.
“It was amazing how flimsy the old bowl was and how quickly it went down,” he said. “We all have our memories, so it was kind of bittersweet.”
Kersnar said the next hurdle is to make sure the funding is in place for the planned upgrades, including new dressing rooms and other amenities.
“The fundraisers are now working to raise money for additional enhancements,” Kersnar said.
Read more: http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/jul/13/nxxfclibbey14/#ixzz0thWGvYCZ
- vcstar.com
