Construction for Bitzer Park Amphitheater to Start in Spring 2013

If all goes as planned, we may be seeing an amphitheater in Bitzer Park during the Main Street Festival in 2013.

Construction is likely to start next spring, said Brent Fatzinger, incoming North Canton Rotary Club president. The Rotary Club spearheaded the project, which is just one of the many city-wide improvements in .

The group had originally wanted the project to be completed in time for this year's Main Street Festival. But, after hitting some bumps in the road with construction plans, they decided next year is a much more likely bet.

"The last thing we want to have happen is we rush into something like this and miss something or overlook something that would have been a benefit," Fatzinger said.

The Rotary Club is about a third of the way to covering the cost of the project, which totals about $75,000. The group raised about $15,000 through its at the in February.

Rotary members also plan to use the proceeds from their new "Fly the Flag" program to pay for the project. The program costs $25 and involves a civic organization placing flags in the yards of those residents and business owners who've signed up. (.)

Fatzinger said he wanted to model the amphitheater after ones he's seen in Hilton Head, North Carolina, and one in Silver Park in Alliance. The amphitheaters are used for not only bands, but theatrical performances and movie nights.

"I thought that would be neat thing to do in North Canton," he said. "Just to have a place where a performer could go and do that kind of thing. It would be a neat Saturday night activity."

Fatzinger said the group always is looking for constructive ideas surrounding the amphitheater project.

"If people have suggestions or ideas or things they’d like to see incorporated in, we’re open to that sort of thing.”

You can find more information about the North Canton Rotary Club and its projects on its website.