Amphitheater Under Construction | Palatka Daily News, Palatka, Florida

Palatka riverfront to benefit from Lowe’s centennial

Community members applaud during a previous Veterans Day ceremony at the Palatka riverfront amphitheater.
The amphitheater at the Palatka riverfront is dug up in preparation for the construction of a revamped amphitheater paid for with money the area won through a program celebrating Lowe’s centennial.
The amphitheater at the Palatka riverfront is dug up in preparation for the construction of a revamped amphitheater paid for with money the area won through a program celebrating Lowe’s centennial.
This conceptual drawing gives an idea of what the finished amphitheater will look like once completed.
Positively Putnam FL

Construction of the city of Palatka’s new riverfront amphitheater is moving ahead on a tight schedule.

The city received $125,000 from Lowe’s 100 Hometowns program to build a revamped amphitheater with a stage covering, lighting and sound. The Rotary Club of Palatka has also approved $50,000 for the project. The old amphitheater, dedicated in 1980, has already been dug up.

The 100 Hometowns program awarded $10 million split among 100 cities in 37 states for the home improvement company’s centennial. There were 2,200 applicants and only three Lowe’s locations in Florida were selected for funding, with Palatka being the largest. In Palatka, several public institutions and businesses sent letters of support to the hardware giant in hopes of money being awarded locally.

Palatka General Services Director Jonathan Griffith said the stage structure will be closer to the north end of the riverfront event lawn near the Millennium Clock Tower. From receiving the award in July to plans for breaking ground in October, the city has a tight deadline to complete the project, and the dates are constantly shifting, Griffith said.

“It is a great opportunity to partner with Lowe’s and the Rotary Club of Palatka,” Griffith said. “It’s not easy, but it should be a great product.”

Griffith said the project consists of a fixed structure with some protection from the elements and an elevated concrete platform with stairs.

The $50,000 from the Rotary Club of Palatka is helping offset some additional items like sound and lighting equipment, according to Griffith.

At the Sept. 23 Palatka City Commission meeting, Mayor Terrill Hill complimented Rotarian Wayne McClain’s fundraising prowess, saying he had a way of assisting with big projects. McClain and Griffith said a Lowe’s workday, where regional Lowe’s employees will kickstart the construction, is targeted for next month.

The competition was not highly publicized outside of a few national TV appearances from Lowe’s officials and was largely on the individual communities with a Lowe’s store. McClain said the speed of the collaborative effort could not have been possible without the city’s willingness to be part of the project.

“It could be used to really make the renovated amphitheater nice. We’re going to have people from Lowe’s and Rotarians working down there also,” McClain said. “This project has very strict timelines. A lot of things had to fall into place.”

More information about the project is available at Lowes.com/100hometowns.