Last night the Park Board’s Administrative & Finance Committee approved the $2.4 million contract with Ebert, Inc. to renovate the Lake Harriet Bandshell and concessions pavilion.

Here is what the contract will cover:

• Removal and replacement of the wood shingles on both the bandshell and pavilion.
• Complete structural repairs and upgrades to align with new building code requirements.
• Repair and painting of the sidewalls.
• Complete mechanical and electrical upgrades including new main breaker panels and the addition of electrical outlets at the bandshell.
• Removal and replacement of the Bandshell lakeside windows with operable windows to promote natural ventilation and coating to reduce bird strikes.

The phase of construction doesn't include repairs and renovation of the safety/yacht club building, picnic shelter, or restroom buildings. Work on these buildings will be reviewed in 2023 by the Park Board.

Park Board President Meg Forney led fundraising efforts for the 1986 Lake Harriet bandshell. At Wednesday night’s meeting, she raised the topic of the color of the bandshell. Forney brought this up because of the recent discussion about and decision to paint the renovated bandshell blue. Residents had organized and signed a petition this year, asking the Park Board to consider painting the bandshell back to the blue color it donned until 2004.

Per the Park Board update on November 30, “The design team decided on an updated version of the blue bandshell color. This new color, called Slate Blue, blends the natural look of the cedar shingles with the bolder blue people remember. Bandshell siding is still in good condition, so it will be preserved and painted to complement the Slate Blue color of roof.”

Prior to the construction contract vote, the Park Board heard from the public about tree assessments done across the city. Public comments focused on the economic hardship that City-directed tree removal can have on homeowners. Homeowners shared the hardship they faced when the City charged them for tree work done on their properties.

The Park Board also heard from an Indigenous resident who urged the Park Board to use funding earmarked for Indigenous reconciliation work for housing and services needed in the Indigenous communities in Minneapolis. The resident referenced a homeless encampment being clearted at Hiawatha and Lake today as a community that could use housing over symbolic gestures.