Fishers is building a pergola outside Fishers City Hall complex. Here's the cost to taxpayers
The Board of Public Works approved the rental of a large, heated tent on the Nickel Plate Amphitheater lawn for a series of Christmas events in December and the construction of a long veranda on the outside of the Fisher City Hall and Art Center to accommodate visitors outdoors during its Aug. 12 meeting.
The pergola on the south side of arts center will be 60 feet long and 30-feet wide with slats that open and shut.
Smart Pergola, of Indianapolis, will build the covering for $297,193, paid for by city tax dollars.
'Originally, we had wanted a roll-up door but for whatever reason they couldn't do it,' Mayor Scott Fadness said at the meeting of the arts center construction plans. 'This creates kind of an outdoor amenity area. Summer camps, too, this would be a nice area for them to hang out in.'
The City Hall with the attached art center and performance hall opened in June 2024. The center offers classes and showcases local artists' work. It is run by the Indy Art Center.
On the lawn of the Nickel Plate Amphitheater behind City Hall and Art Center, Fishers will pay Blue Peak, of Michigan, $143,881 to put up a 116-by-82-foot tent that will stand for most of December. The tent will have seating for 432 guests and 54 round tables. It will be heated with 16 propane-powered space heaters and be connected by a tented tunnel to the art center.
Fadness said the tent allows the city to host all its Christmas activities under one roof instead of scattered under several.
Activities in the tent could include the sale of Christmas trinkets, arts and crafts or holiday-themed performances. It could also serve as a warming post for spectators at the Holiday tree lighting or Christmas lights show.
'One of the goals is to improve engagement during the winter months,' Fadness said. 'Instead of renting a bunch of tents we can rent one big tent for, say, Breakfast with the Grinch. This allows more flexibility. People really didn't like going outside between tents.'
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