Kennesaw breaks ground on $6M Depot Park amphitheater
Jan. 19—KENNESAW — Officials symbolically shoveled dirt downtown on Thursday afternoon to mark the start of a new, $6 million amphitheater at Depot Park.
Construction will begin Feb. 1 and is scheduled to last 12 months. Kennesaw staff said that timeline is subject to adjustment, if the project is hampered by weather or supply chain issues.
Once complete, the amphitheater will hold between 1,500 and 2,000 people, according to City Manager Jeff Drobney. The design calls for a 50-foot by 42-foot stage, with turf grass terraces fanning out from there. The project also includes new restrooms and storage space, and the renovation of the Community House.
Parks and Recreation Director Steve Roberts said the amphitheater, "a long time coming," will be "the crown jewel of the city."
"I'm all about the vision, but let's just get it built," Mayor Derek Easterling said, after shouting out the construction team. "Keep us on time, keep us going. That's what we want, we want the final product. And then we're gonna let the people have it, because this is what you've been asking for."
The amphitheater will cap off a long-running, eight-phase master plan for the park, which now boasts a playground, open play field, walking trail, picnic tables and benches.
Construction of Depot Park was funded by successive rounds of 1% special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) dollars.
"I think it's a really good example of what SPLOST can do, because, this, the (Adams Park) rec center, those things just cannot be built without SPLOST money," Roberts said.
The amphitheater will be funded by the 2022 round of SPLOST, which began collecting revenue last January and will run through the end of 2027.
The concept for Depot Park began decades ago when CSX abandoned the depot and the city started leasing the land. Various plans were drawn up over the years and a Depot Park master plan was adopted in 2008. The master plan was updated in 2015.
"I am looking forward to the end result. ... It will be an anchor point," Easterling said.
The park is adjacent to the Historic Train Depot, the 19th century Carrie House, used for art shows and small gatherings, and the 60-seat Depot Tunnel Amphitheatre, which hosts performances, weddings and lectures.
The new, larger amphitheater will also host city events, concerts, holiday events, plays and dance recitals. Roberts said the city hasn't decided yet if the amphitheater might be rented out. The idea's been discussed, he said, but the city will see how things go in the first year, and how much renting it out would strain the resources of police and other departments.
"It will be a place for us as a department to host some of our events, get those more downtown."
"We will see where that goes," Roberts said.
The development of Depot Park is part of a larger effort to revitalize downtown Kennesaw. Drobney said the amphitheater will be a boon for residents and businesses, and attract more visitors to the city.
"I think it'll make a huge change for downtown," he said. "(And) be able to host events of all kinds."
