Liberty City Council members voted unanimously to approve building gazebo, pavilion and stage, for a cost of up to $25,000.
While the contest has been a great asset to the town in recent of years, the closing of Commerce Street during the contest doesn’t sit well with downtown business owners, who have complained to council members.
“One of the big issues was closing down Commerce Street, and during the last four or five weeks of the contest we’ve had to close it down at 8 or 9 in the morning, because we’re moving the temporary trailer and setting it in the street itself,” said Councilman Michael Sheriff, who serves on the town’s Liberty Idol committee.
Many merchants have asked that the street not be closed until 2 p.m., but that is impossible due to the time needed to set up the trailer and staging.
“It’s not physically possible to close off at 2 p.m. and get the trailer set up by the time of the Liberty Idol,” Sheriff said.
The new gazebo will face the parking lot toward the library, Sheriff said.
“What we would do is put on the Liberty Idol there, and we’d be able to accommodate the 3,000 – 4,000 people we have during the last nights of the contests,” he said. “We won’t have to close off Commerce Street at all.”
Building the new gazebo this year is essential, as committee members anticipate “a bigger, better Liberty Idol this year,” Sheriff said.
“We’re looking to just as big or bigger crowds than he had this year,” he said.
But the gazebo won’t just be used for Liberty Idol, Sheriff said.
“It provides not only a permanent stage for Liberty Idol, but it’ll be used for the citizens year-round, for performances, meetings, picnics, etc.,” he said. “It’ll enhance the Sarlin Park area.”
The up to $25,000 cost will include building the stage and gazebo and some light landscape modification to Sarlin Park, Sheriff said.
The gazebo will be funded through the town’s hospitality tax monies.
“It wouldn’t come out of the general fund,” Sheriff said.
The town currently has $109,000 in hospitality tax funds, he said.
That money will be offset somewhat by the $4,000 - $5,000 cost of setting up the temporary staging, Sheriff said.
While Liberty Idol has grown bigger than town officials and Idol organizers ever dreamed, the intent of the contest has always been to draw visitors and shoppers to Liberty, said Mayor Brian Deese.
“Unfortunately, if you want to say unfortunately, it has grown so large, it’s become a detriment to a couple of businesses down there, which was not the intent,” he said. “So we have to figure out a way to keep it downtown but move it off the streets, so it doesn’t block off Commerce Street completely.
“This particular venue would be ideally set up for that, and can house thousands of people in there that want to come out and enjoy Liberty Idol,” Deese said. “The funds are there from the hospitality tax, and to me, that’s what the funds are for, to serve our citizens in a tourist and recreational area. I think it would be money well-spent for our future.”
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