Town Center Gazabo Gets Facelift

As the summer concert series is about to kick off, town officials are ready to give the pavilion where the bands play a face lift.

The winter's rough weather played havoc with the curtains that drop down the sides of the pavilion, so they will be replaced in the coming weeks after the Legislative Council approved the funding Monday.

The floor of the pavilion also is in need of repair because some of the floor boards are coming up. It's considered routine maintenance and not hard to fix, Arts Commission director Mimsie Coleman said, and not costly to repair.

The bigger issue is the pavilion’s mesh barrier curtains, which will cost $7,500 to replace. The winter took a toll on the six-year-old curtains, Coleman said. With multiple inches of snow falling at record speed, it was so high that the Public Works Department could not clear the snow surrounding the pavilion, she said, and it was enough of a challenge keeping the streets as clear as possible.

The last performance on the pavilion was the Silver Bells Festival Dec. 2. The blizzard that took place Dec. 26 right after the Christmas performance buried the area. Because of the depth of the snow, no one was able to get near the pavilion, Coleman said.

During the winter the curtains are usually rolled up to protect them from the elements but were down, and the continuous pounding of the snow caused them to shred. Age also may have also been a contributing factor to their demise. 

It wasn't easy finding a company to replace the curtains, Coleman told the Legislative Council Monday night.

"It took us months to even find a company to design these," she said. 

The curtains are pulled up and down by hand, she said, and to replace it with an electrical system would cost much more.

It's imperative that the new curtains be maintained properly, council member Kath Schomaker said.

"The stage is a wonderful asset to the town and many, many people enjoy it," she said. "I would ask that you do due diligence and take care of the curtains."

The is one of the Arts Commission's most popular events, and the commission works very hard every year to ensure all concerts are presented in a seamless manner, Coleman said. The concerts bring many out-of-town people to Hamden, she said, and the addition of people is good for Hamden's economy and the surrounding businesses.

Donations and sponsorships are still being accepted to fund the series, Coleman said, as they have lagged this year due to the economy. For more information, contact Coleman at 203-287-2546.