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Lakeview Amphitheater Complete; Ready for Inaugural Concert Next Week

A furious pace of construction by hundreds of workers over the past several months has resulted in the on-time completion of a $49.3 million amphitheater on the western shore of Onondaga Lake.  County Executive Joanie Mahoney says she was fully aware of the risks of the aggressive construction timeline when work began last November, but really took off in mid-February.  Now, the county is the official owner of a completed Lakeview Amphitheater.

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
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WAER News
Some of the 5,000 covered seats at the Lakeview Amphiteater.

"People cautioned us, you don't want to over-hype or over-promise.  I don't think you can.  When you come out here, especially if you've lived here your whole life, and you see this, I think you're going to be blown away by what this addition is to our county parks system."

 Mahoney says all involved in the project have fulfilled the promise that the venue would be completed by the start of the New York State Fair.  Well, the fair opens Thursday and the first concert is a week later.  Mahoney says the facility is second to none.

"We've had LiveNation out here.  They are promoting the Miranda Lambert show.  They're blown away by the setting here.  We have built it with artists in mind so that they're going to want Syracuse on their tour."

Mahoney says next week’s inaugural concert will set the stage for a full season next year.  Getting to this point has meant as many as 300 workers on the site at a time, working two shifts.  Senior Vice President for Gilbane Building Company William Gilbane III says it’s been stressful…but everyone was up to the challenge.

"This is not for the faint of heart.  It was a very difficult schedule.  It was a difficult site.  There were a lot of stakeholders involved.  I give the county a lot of credit for their leadership."

(Scott Willis from scene): "There doesn't appear to be a bad seat in the house, even as far back as I am here on the lawn, about as far away from the stage as you can get.  You can still see the stage, you'll be able to hear the music.  And you also get a great view of Onondaga Lake, a view that very few of us have ever had...since this area was mostly inaccessible to the public for many many years."

Credit Scott Willis / WAER News
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WAER News
The view of the stage from the back of the expansive lawn.

Mahoney says the design is intentional.

"This lawn is wide.  People are a lot closer here than they are at other facilities where the lawn is narrow and a little more steep, and people are stacked more.  Here, it's a lot more like a park."

Construction from start to finish took about nine months, and that includes the harsh winter.  Mahoney says the fast pace can be attributed to the flexibility afforded by the design-build approach...

"I took very seriously the obligation to do it well because I think it's a good model for communities across the state.   When they say we took a chance in Onondaga County, and we did a design-build project, and everything went as planned, and we got it done far more quickly than any project's been done around here, I think it will make it easier for the next community to get permission to follow our lead."

Mahoney says the only other design build project in the state is the replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge.  Aside from the concert venue, the facility also features an event center in the back with space for at least 300 that can be booked like any other county facility.  Concessions for now will be temporary under tents; permanent vendors are expected with the next phase of the project, pending approval by the county legislature. 

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.