Adoption of the attached resolutions

At the work session on September 22, 2025, staff presented an update on the Vetter Stone Amphitheater project, which included a permanent roof structure over the stage, installation of permanent bench seating across the top of the amphitheater, the construction of a storage building on the north end of the park, and the rental of a back of house trailer to provide adequate space for performers. The Council provided direction to move forward with this proposal with the support of LSE Architects, the design firm that supported the master planning for the park.

As designs were finalized and final bidding was provided, the project budget of $3,089,000 grew tighter. Because of this, staff recommend moving forward with the following:

• Amphitheater Stagehouse
• Bench Seating for 300 Level
• Chair Back Seating for 200 Level center sections
• Direct purchase of Back of House Trailer

This plan omits the storage facility. Staff will recommend inclusion of the original storage facility or an alternative storage option in a future budget year, tentatively scheduled for 2029.

After further research with several vendors, staff are recommending a back-of-house trailer purchase over the lease terms previously reviewed. The original vendor declined to move forward with the lease agreement and the terms provided by subsequent vendors made the purchase financially practical.

The following is a breakdown of each portion of the project.

Stagehouse
Staff determined that the best method for delivering this project involved procurement through a Construction Manager at Risk (CMaR) contract. This would allow for value engineering and constructibility reviews throughout the design process. The Request for Qualifications was released, by authorization of Council, on January 12, 2026. Following the selection process as detailed to Council, Knutson Construction was selected as the CMaR by resolution of Council on March 23, 2026, and the City Manager was authorized to enter into a contract on June 8, 2026.

During the spring and summer of 2026, staff worked closely with Knutson Construction and LSE Architects on design and budget. Initial budget projections from Knutson helped to guide the design to ensure the project stayed within budget. Staff, with LSE and Knutson, finalized and opened bid documents on July 30, 2026.

Bid pricing came in higher than anticipated in a few key areas, including foundation/structural, steel and electrical costs. Because of the CMaR process, staff were able to value engineer the project further to reduce costs in key areas. This was done through further evaluation with Braun Intertec, the city’s consultant responsible for soil testing, LSE’s structural engineer and Knutson’s commitment to lowering pricing where feasible.

The costs for the stagehouse portion of the project can be found below.
 

Item	Bid
Total Base Bid	$2,483,670
Less Accepted Alternatives	($72,184)
Total Adjusted Bid	$2,411,486
Contingency – 4%	$96,459
Design & Testing Fees	$185,370
Total Stagehouse Cost	$2,693,315

The alternatives reviewed in design include roofing material changes, steel painting, and an alternative lighting package for the house lights.

Seating
Bench seating in the 300 Level of Vetter Stone Amphitheater, which currently consists of 736 seats, will increase 15-20% based on the final layouts. Chair back seating in the center of the 200 Level will make 625 chairs permanent. The installation of these seats will eliminate the labor needed to set up these chairs, the storage needed for pre- and post-event chair rack staging and the transportation needed to get chairs from the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center to Riverfront Park.
In addition to being able to sell more seats in the 300 Level, other events with smaller budgets will be able to use the permanent seating without added labor costs. The addition of these chairs will still allow for event flexibility and the opportunity to set up the seating bowl in a variety of layouts.

Staff sought out several options for bench seating and received many bids. The best price and product were determined to be provided by Dant Clayton. This purchase is through the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Agreement. Staff reached out to several stadium chair companies, but only received one bid from H2I Group, which is a distributor of Irwin Seating Products. This purchase will be made through the OMNIA Cooperative Purchasing Agreement.

The costs for the seating portion of the project can be found below.
 

Item	Bid
Bench Seating	$184,100
Chair Back Seating	$183,790
Total Seating Cost	$367,890

The chairback seating was originally budgeted in the 2025 Capital Plan, but due to not moving forward, the funding has been carried forward in the fund balance.

Back of House Trailer
At the September 22, 2025, work session, the rental or purchase of a dedicated back of house trailer was discussed. Based on quotes received at the time, a lease was selected due to the favorable terms presented. Upon further negotiations, the original vendor decided not to move forward, and subsequent vendors presented unfavorable terms. Ultimately, staff was able to identify a quality vendor able to build the unit to staff’s specifications and deliver the unit prior to the reopening of the park next year.

Staff engaged with several trailer companies, and Satellite Shelters, Inc. provided the best price and product.

The costs for the trailer portion of the project can be found below.
 

Item	Bid
Trailer Purchase	$180,209
Delivery, Install, & Skirting	$15,514
Total Trailer Cost	$195,723

Staff are recommending that the delivery and installation costs be covered under the Riverfront Park operating budget in 2027. In future years, the operating budget will see a decrease in expenses for trailer rental that ranged from $19,000 to $30,000 over the last several seasons.
Storage Building
Staff engaged with Knutson, by way of Sourcewell, to construct the storage building. The originally desired location, just north of the trail entrance to Riverfront Park, was determined to be within the state designated shoreland district of the Minnesota River. A final location was selected to the east of the original location just outside the park boundary.

A 50 foot  x 60 foot pole shed with an overhead door, pedestrian door, lighting, power supply and paved driveway was designed. The construction costs came in at $438,270.

Upon further review of the budget, it was determined that there is insufficient capacity for the construction of the storage building. Staff recommend re-budgeting for the storage building in 2029.

Project Overview
This project will consist of the construction of a new stage and stage house (roof), loading dock modifications, new bleacher seating in the upper portion of the seating bowl, new permanent chairs in the middle 200 Level of the seating bowl and the purchase of a back-of-house trailer. The summarized project costs and funding are shown below.

Item	Bid
Stagehouse & Site Improvements	$2,483,670
Less Accepted Alternatives	($72,184)
Total Stagehouse Cost	$2,411,486
Contingency – 4%	$96,459
Design & Testing Fees	$185,370
Bench Seating	$184,100
Chair Back Seating	$183,790
Trailer Purchase	$180,209
Delivery, Install, & Skirting	$15,514
Total Project Cost	$3,256,928

 

Funding Source	Amount
Riverfront Park Capital	$2,366,414
Sales Tax Transfer	$875,000
Operating Budget - 2027	$15,514
Total Project Funding	$3,256,928

Staff recommends the Council authorize the City Manager to execute a Guaranteed Maximum Price amendment with Knutson Construction for the construction of the stage house and necessary site improvements, authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with Dant Clayton for bench seating through the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Agreement, authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with H2I Group for chair back seating through the OMNIA Cooperative Purchasing Agreement and enter into a contract with Satellite Shelters, Inc. for the purchase of a back of house trailer.