Tent over Metro Park stage coming down

City finds canopy built in 1982 unsafe, beyond repairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A tent that has shaded the main stage at Metropolitan Park downtown since it was built in 1982 began coming down Tuesday.

The stage has been a popular concert venue for decades, hosting the Jacksonville Jazz Festival for many years, individual concerts and community events.

Earlier this year, a city inspector found structural issues and said that the tent was beyond repair. Access was restricted until it could be removed.

“It’s no longer in the structural condition that we feel is safe for citizens,” Marsha Oliver, director of public affairs, told News4Jax in April. “The latest inspection shows it’s met its use. It has served the (Metropolitan) Park visitors for a number of years."

The city conducted studies to determine the future of the stage, but there are currently no plans for replacing the canopy. 

The city is paying 50 percent of the cost of an amphitheater being built adjoining the south end zone of EverBank Field, right across the street from Metro Park.

Officials said they will work with event promoters and organizers who use the park and make sure it's still a destination for concerts and other events.


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