The Delafield Arts Foundation is fundraising for a stage at Liberty Park in Delafield

The Delafield Arts Foundation wants to build a stage at Liberty Park in the city of Delafield.

The idea has been on the foundation's radar since 2016. The pandemic pushed plans back, but now the foundation is officially fundraising for a stage they hope to build on the north side of the park, 901 Genesee St., abutting St. John's Northwestern Academies.

"The park is big enough where it can handle this many people, but it’s also small enough so you get some intimacy surrounded by the Bark River and the trees," said Jim Reiher, foundation president. "With the trails, the parking lot, and the access to downtown and the rest of the city that is a walking community, it really sets it up well for having a stage and hosting events.”

A stage would be the latest development in the city along the Bark River. The park was cleared of buckthorn about six years ago thanks to efforts from the Friends of the Bark River, which Reiher is also a member of.

With the trail and park usage increasing, the next step in the eyes of the Arts Foundation is the stage to host a myriad of events from music and theater productions to being used for local races or as a wedding backdrop.

The goal is to have the stage rival those in other communities 

Reiher said that the plan is to be on par with stages in Mequon, Cedarburg and Wauwatosa that are "more than a bandshell."

"If you’re around long enough, you want a legacy that is going to outlive you. You want something there 20 to 30 years from now that the community is proud of and still using," Reiher said. "This will be a stage that can cater to many different acts and something we want the community to be able to use whether that’s a student theater production or bringing in concerts in the summer."

To test the waters to see how a stage would perform, the foundation hosted two concerts this summer. The performance in July attracted almost 500 people and the Sept. performance attracted 340.

"This is another supplement to keep the city all natural with another way and reason to access and appreciate the river and the park," Reiher said. "As long as this is incorporated and this doesn’t become a mini-mall or a dog park, we will make sure this is an accessible, public park. This is the beauty of Delafield. To have a park right downtown, a stage would only complement what we have already."

Funds to be raised through donations, selling naming rights

The initial goal for fundraising was $400,000; however, with inflation, they believe the cost will likely be higher. In addition to general donations, they also plan to sell naming rights for various parts of the stage.

Reiher said so far he has received support for the project from the parks and recreation commission, the plan commission and the common council. If built, it is believed that the foundation would maintain and operate the stage. The city does not have a parks and recreation department.

Reiher said that events will be a mix of free to the public events and those including a fee.

Another issue being discussed with the city is the need for bathrooms in the park, not just for events if the stage is built. It is unclear who would pay for those.

“Not one negative thing have I heard about this,” Reiher said. “We have broad-based support for it. Now, it’s a question of getting to the next stage and working with the city to get the right people to build it and then operating in conjunction with the city to maintain it.”

There is no official timeline yet for the project. Reiher said the foundation plans to discuss options internally and with the city about how and who would build the structure and how it will be maintained.

For more information on the project and for donation information, Reiher asks people to visit delafieldartsfoundation.org.

Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or 262-289-1324.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Delafield Arts Foundation is fundraising for a stage at Liberty Park