QUINCY — Arts Quincy Executive Director Laura Sievert-Hesseltine wants to see Quincy mirror the success other communities have with riverfront amphitheaters.
And the Quincy community can play a part in making it happen by participating in an Arts Quincy community survey by March 17 to help determine the feasibility and design of a state-of-the-art outdoor riverfront amphitheater.
The survey may be taken anonymously, but all participants who provide their name will be entered into a drawing for a year-long Arts Quincy family membership and a $250 Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce “Chamber Bucks” gift card valid at local businesses.
The community survey marks a first step “designed to give us a real comprehensive picture of what’s possible here, particularly from an economic perspective,” Sievert-Hesseltine said.
“I am a person with a heart for art, but I need to know this will make Quincy money, not cost us money, make the quality of life better and be an economic engine for our businesses, our restaurants, our hospitality, our hotels that all of us could benefit from.”
The project — made possible by the Illinois Arts Council Capital Planning Grant through Arts Quincy and in partnership with the city of Quincy, Quincy Riverfront Development Corp. and in collaboration with the Quincy Park District — has the potential to transform Quincy into a premier regional entertainment destination while driving economic growth and enriching the local arts and culture scene.
The River Music Experience amphitheater in Davenport, Iowa, for example, contributes over $12 million annually to the local economy. RiverEdge Park in Aurora has created more than 200 new jobs and spurred $40 million in downtown development, while Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater in Decatur draws national touring acts and boosts local businesses.
Sievert-Hesseltine wants Quincy to be able to compete with those communities to offer similar arts and culture experiences.
“In my imagination, we’ll host symphonies, concert bands, but also country acts, rock and roll, festivals like our Fourth of July and Fishing for Freedom,” she said. “It is versatile, really something we can all be using regularly.”
The economic potential spurred the planning grant to develop project details — and potentially tap into additional funding.
“What we’re doing now is the preparedness phase so we can jump on whatever comes up in capital funding,” Sievert-Hesseltine said. “The survey only helps us understand what Quincy really wants.”
A retractable roof, for example, might not be possible, but “if Quincy really wants a roof for shade, if we dream about it a little bit, we can at least address shade,” she said. “We can think about it differently by having the data.”
Klingner and Associates already is working on a comprehensive site review and stakeholder engagement sessions to plan a facility proposal.
“This feedback is key to understanding whether this venue could be successful in Quincy and can become a real economic engine for tourism, hospitality and local quality of life,” assistant project manager Stephanie Cross said in a news release. “We’re gathering information from the public, from other venues, from touring companies to make the first really complete picture of how an outdoor venue could elevate the community.”
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