Chris Roginski, who is in charge of the amphitheater project for MSI, outlines the plans for the City Council. Also listening are Jeanna Moore, center, and Tiffany Bockewitz of the group planning the project. [Photo by Michael Berry]

For the past few years, people in Galva and nearby communities have enjoyed professional musical entertainment on summer evenings in a city park.

Now, a group of Kewanee residents want to offer the same entertainment here.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, members of the group explained their plan to build an amphitheater in West Park.

While council members were receptive to the idea, they agreed that it will take a city ordinance to approve the project and the details of how it will work. That ordinance is to be on the agenda at the council’s June 24 meeting.

Jeanna Moore explained that her group wants to raise the money to build the amphitheater and a restroom building at the south end of the park. She said the project will probably cost $700,000 to $800,000.

Mrs. Moore said the group would like to establish a local organization along the lines of the Crossroads Cultural Connections organization which is in charge of Galva’s Levitt AMP concert series.

“I think it would be great” for outdoor concerts, theatrical events and other uses, she said.

Councilman Steve Faber said he’d like to see more use made of West Park. “Not much goes on there,” he said.

That’s already starting to change. The Kewanee Park District, which leases the north end of West Park and administers it as Liberty Park, has installed new playground equipment there and has obtained a state grant to build a splash pad next year.

The addition of an amphitheater to the south end of the park could turn it from a “minorly used park into something nice for the city,” said Chris Roginski.

Roginski is managing the amphitheater project for MSI of Kewanee, which would be the contractor for the project.

He said the plans call for building a “very nice-looking bandshell” along with a precast concrete restroom building that would be like one that is to be built near the Liberty Park splash pad.

Jason Bates of Kewanee is active in Galva’s summer entertainment program as well as year-round efforts to bring traveling musicians to perform in Galva, Bishop Hill and Cambridge. He told the council there should be no problem getting professional musical acts to perform in Kewanee.

Since Galva has developed a reputation for its concert venues, Bates said, the local organizers have to turn down performers because there’s no place in the schedule for them.

West Park is owned by the city, which leases the north part to the park district. Mayor Gary Moore (Jeanna Moore’s husband) asked who would own the amphitheater.

“It doesn’t matter who owns what,” Mrs. Moore replied, adding that she just wants to get the project done.

City Attorney Justin Raver agreed that it doesn’t matter who owns it; what matters is who’s going to maintain it.

“Ultimately, if it needs to be fixed, it’s going to be us,” Raver said.

Bates said the City of Galva maintains the bandshell in Wiley Park where the Levitt AMP concerts are held.