Band Shell Proposed for Bellefonte’s Talleyrand Park

Building a band shell in Talleyrand Park seems to be “universally popular idea,” resident Rick Jacobs told the Bellefonte Borough Council during a Nov. 1 meeting.

Jacobs is part of a committee that is raising funds for a potential band shell that would provide a new place for concerts in the park.

The community group has been working on the project for more than a year and a half. Plans are to raise funds and seek grants to build the band shell in the park near the old Subway restaurant building. The borough purchased the Subway property in December 2020 after the restaurant closed during the pandemic. The borough plans to use the space to “beautify” the entrance to the park.

Jacobs said the band shell project is “growing in scope,” meaning the committee will need to raise even more money to see it through. Mayor Tom Wilson has been a longtime proponent of the plan.

Wilson said the shell would be “a nice size,” with a rough design putting it at “50 feet across and 40 feet deep.”

The committee needs to raise “one million bucks,” Wilson said, to make the project happen. He said Downtown Bellefonte Inc. would be involved in fundraising and asked the council to approve an agreement with the band shell committee and DBI to allow for fundraising to begin in earnest. After some discussion, the council unanimously voted for approval.

“We don’t plan to ask the borough for money. In fact, if plans go as outlined, we will actually be donating some money to the parks department,” Wilson said.

Wilson added that the facility would become home to the Summer Concerts in the Park series that currently is staged at the gazebo. It would also provide a stage for events like the Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Festival, the Central PA Tasting Trail and other community events. He said usage would become community based and not require a manager initially.

“We are building this as a gift to the community, so the community can use it,” Wilson said. “If indeed, down the road, it gets known as a pretty good venue and promoters would say they would like to put a concert on there, then if it gets to that point five years down the road, we should have funds to put somebody in charge of doing that.”

Council member Jon Eaton voiced a concern that the potential upkeep of the facility could end up costing the borough money.

“It is yes a gift, but it is a gift of obligation, long-term. Once the gift is given, then it is ours to maintain. We will also have to ensure the maintenance of it,” Eaton said.

Council member Melissa Hombosky, who is part of DBI, said there is no plan to ask the borough to raise taxes for the project, including for maintenance.

“The plan is for it to be 100-percent fundraised, and if it doesn’t get to that point, then it is not going to be done,” Hombosky said.

This story appears in the Nov. 11-17 edition of the Centre County Gazette.