County board injecting federal funds into Marysville park amphitheater

A decades-old park amphitheater in Marysville City Park is getting a big funding boost from some of St. Clair County’s share of COVID stimulus dollars.

But whether it’ll be renovated or torn down and replaced hasn’t been officially settled.

During committee meetings on Thursday, county commissioners sent the use of $421,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to the full board for approval later this month.

Every board member has received $500,000 of the county’s $31 million in ARP money to take back to each of their seven districts. District 4, represented by the outgoing Commissioner Duke Dunn, includes Marysville and Port Huron Township.

“This is something that’s been on the books for an awfully long time. It’s the old band shelter in the park,” Dunn said Thursday. “It’s very much outdated. It’s something, when I was on council, they were talking about years ago doing.

“The only issue now (is deciding) — we’re going back and forth — to tear it down and build a complete new one, which is actually cheaper than remodeling it,” he added. “… Everybody’s very much in favor of building a complete new one. There’ll be bathrooms in there, dressing rooms. (Marysville City Manager Fernandez) Randy’s got a lot of people involved — different theatre groups and stuff like that. They’re hoping to have outdoor plays out there and bands.”

The city park’s band shell has been the source for more recent talks among officials and Marysville residents, along with a former museum property along the park and Huron Boulevard.

An informal meeting was held in mid-September for residents to tour both and offer feedback as council members weigh the future of each.

Despite the consensus cited by Dunn, Marysville Mayor Wayne Pyden said nothing’s been finalized, and that it may be a while before final talks come up for City Council. It was not on the agenda for Monday’s meeting.

“What we’re waiting for is really the minutes to see exactly what was said,” the mayor said of last month’s meeting. “We had an attendance of about 40 people and all of them really had good ideas. I think at this particular point in time, Randy sent in an application that we’re going to rehab our existing structure or we’re going to build new.

“… Council’s going to want to see exactly what the people who attended the meeting (wanted) to see because I don’t think it was unanimous that we tear it down.”

Pyden has previously said he hoped to learn more about the history of the band shell, adding it was something they were still working on.

On Thursday, Dunn also referenced working with historians to “make sure nobody’s got any special value” for the site.

Pyden said that it appeared to be prevalent “on both sides of the coin here” that the large American flag over the shelter had symbolism for residents.

“And there are options to take a look at,” the mayor said. “There’s a little more discussion here that has to be held on it. It’s just going to be a matter of time.”

ARP funds don’t have to have an identified use for another two years.

For Dunn, who lost his primary for re-election in August, getting the green light for his share of funds to be used in Marysville, where he lives, will be among his final acts as a county commissioner.

“It feels awesome. I’ve served in Marysville for a lot of years, and it’s an opportunity to give back to my hometown,” he said. “I’m glad to have the opportunity and the funds to be able to do it. It’s something that probably (could not) get done if the funds weren’t available.”

What funds went toward Port Huron Township?

Last month, Dunn identified the Visiting Nurse Association and Blue Water Hospice Home in Port Huron Township as the recipient for the other $79,000.

Port Huron Township officials had hoped to use some of Dunn's share of ARP funds on a path around Baker's Field that Supervisor Bob Lewandowski estimated would be close to a mile long. He said those improvements would help "make it worthwhile for someone who wants to do a longer walk for exercise."

On Friday, unaware of the $421,000 allocation to Marysville, Lewandowski said the larger distribution was "kind of disappointing," recalling earlier conversations that funds would be more closely split in the $200,000 range in both communities. He said the township had planned put its own ARP funds "toward water projects that need to be done."

Dunn couldn't be immediately reached Friday for comment in follow up.

County Board Jeff Bohm said commissioners had not set a deadline to obligate each of their $500,000. They also were not limited on use within the varied boundaries of the American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: County board injecting federal funds into Marysville park amphitheater