Earlier this month, Mary Jane Vander Weide took center stage of the newly refurbished Lawrence Park Bowl amphitheater in Zeeland and offered a few memories about winning a prize as a young girl in 1937 for her piano piece at the city's Talent Show.
It was the first event held at the Bowl, built under the Works Progress Administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and a fitting introduction to the unveiling of the improved venue that had fallen into disrepair over past years.
The 2009 "Re-Grand Opening Ceremony" was the culmination of a year-long, $250,000 project funded by the city of Zeeland to restore the structural integrity of the bowl, adding seats to the concrete bleachers, upgrading sound and lighting and making the area compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
"Basically it needed to be completely restored or condemned," says Abigail deRoo, Zeeland city marketing director. "City Council felt that restoring the site was very important to the history of Zeeland, and making the Bowl accessible again would bring more people to the parks. [The restoration] creates a gathering space for community groups to hold events, concerts, church worship services, company picnics, family reunions and more.
"I can say that we definitely see a huge difference in the quality of the sound, the comfort of the setting, the ability to attract more bands to perform," deRoo says.
The architect for the restoration project was Andrew Baer of Holland, and the construction manager was Joe Novak of
Black River Builders in Holland.
Source: Abigail deRoo,
City of ZeelandDeborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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