Amphitheater Park to Receive Official Name

CATHEDRAL CITY – One of this city’s newest additions to the Downtown, Commons/Heritage Amphitheater Park, is about to get its own official name.

The City Council on Wednesday is expected to choose from four names the Parks and Community Events Commission have put forth. The four names are the result of a public process that included a flier encouraging residents to participate in the process. The top four names are:

• Cathedral Canyon Amphitheatre Park
• Cathedral City Amphitheatre Park
• The Sounds of the Canyon Amphitheatre Park
• Ofelia Bringas Amphitheatre Park

The Commons/Heritage Amphitheater Park Project is currently under construction. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Downtown Amphitheater was held on Dec. 6. The project contractor has requested the official name of the Amphitheater Park so that a specialty sign can be cut for the entrance marquee.

The City Council voted in November 2018 to award CS Legacy Construction Inc. a $1.6 million contract to build everything in the 2.51-acre park except for the amphitheater.

The goal is to have the project finished by Sept. 15, 2019.

Construction on the 2,900-seat venue, which will feature theater-style seating, will serve as an anchor in the downtown entertainment district. Once completed, it will feature a walking trail and children’s play area.

Cathedral City has been actively rejuvenating its downtown district and commons area. A wealth of projects has already been completed, including new civic center complex and town square. This area includes city government offices, the police department, a cinema complex, a repertory theatre, restaurants, a parking structure, and recreational amenities such as the Gregory S. Pettis Fountain of Life, and the Cathedral City Festival Lawn, which provides grass areas for outdoor enjoyment and festival events.

In a continuing effort to encourage public use of this civic space, the city applied for and received a $1.4 million California State Parks Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to create a new and interactive outdoor amphitheater space for cultural, entertainment and recreation events and activities. This grant must cover the cost to design and construct the theater and amenities, as well as all city costs for project and grant administration.

An additional $1.4 million was donated to the project as matching funds from the City Urban Revitalization Corporation (C.U.R.C.).  The City Council also authorized an additional $900,000 to help cover the estimated cost projections to build the amphitheater based on City Engineer projections.

The amphitheater park will be used for the city’s signature festivals such as the Balloon Festival, Taste of Jalisco, and LGBT Days. It will also be available to be leased for third-party promotions.  Once complete, the amphitheater is expected to play host to other events such as Movies in the Park, Shakespeare in the Park, Food Truck events, and general park uses.