Posted by Anne Decker on Aug 01, 2023
The Lima Rotary Club and the City of Lima cut the ribbon on the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater Monday!
Lima Rotarian Rich Rudolph has traveled the world and he noticed one thing that many thriving small towns have in common...a downtown greenspace where the community can gather for concerts, festivals, socializing and more. He approached Rotary in 2017 to see if the club would like to help create a park and amphitheater downtown. Rotary said, “Of course!” Initially, the vision was for a small covered stage in a park at the corner of Spring and Union. But with input from the arts community, that vision expanded to include a full size stage, sound and lights, big screen TVs, and a park that covers almost an entire city block, transforming what used to be a depressed area filled with vacant buildings and weed-covered lots. Rudolph co-chaired the Amphitheater Committee along with Rotarian Tracie Sanchez. They, and the rest of the committee spent thousands of hours over the past five years bringing the vision to reality. The new facility, located at 128 E. Spring Street, is named the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater, for the Greater Lima Region, which secured naming rights. The amphitheater itself is called Pangle Pavilion in honor of the Pangle family which was a major donor to the project. The Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater was designed by Beam Designs and SPGB.
 
The investment of nearly $4 million for the park came from both public and private funds with $1.25 million from the state of Ohio’s capital budget, $800,000 from the Ohio Department of Natural 
Resources, and $475,000 from the City of Lima.The rest of the funds were donated by Lima Rotarians, local businesses and grants. “The Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater is more than bricks and mortar in downtown Lima; it is a living, breathing representation of the kind of community Lima/Allen County is,” says Rotary Club President Lesley Fry. “The fact that Rotary started with a vision more than five years ago and that it grew to what we see today is nothing short of amazing. That’s what Rotarians do – they are people of action.”
 
Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith states, “I am proud to join staff members from the City of Lima, Lima Rotary Club, Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center, and representatives of state and federal government for the unveiling of the Greater Lima Region Park and Amphitheater. We are first-hand witnesses to an age of revitalization and growth through Lima’s downtown and surrounding areas. The park and pavilion stand as a lasting testament to the power of community partnerships and the vibrancy of life in Lima, Ohio.”
The Lima Rotary Club donated the park to the City of Lima, which will manage its maintenance and security. The Lima Rotary Club has committed $150,000 to a maintenance and capital improvement fund for the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater to ensure it stays in good repair. The Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center will manage the scheduling of events at the park and on the stage. The Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater is available for rental for such things as concerts, plays, family reunions, graduations, movies, tailgate parties, festivals and much more. When not rented, the green space will be open for use as a city park in the heart of downtown Lima.
 
The grand opening celebration of the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater is August 2 - 6 featuring a variety of events:
 
Wednesday, August 2
6:00 PM - A Roast to the City, Presented by the Council for the Arts of Greater Lima
A night of BBQ and Parker MacDonell & Friends in concert 
Parker MacDonell is the son of the late Martie and Sandy MacDonell who were enthusiastic supporters of the local arts community and well-known philanthropists.
 
Thursday, August 3
7:30 PM - All-4-One in concert with Naturally 7 and special guest Stedic Music
 
Friday, August 4
12:00 PM - Free Lima Art Fair, Presented by ArtSpace/Lima
Arts fair, food trucks and live music from local bands
7:30 PM - Al Jardine in concert with special guests The Indoorfins and Kevin Ashba
Al Jardine is a Lima native who is a founding member of The Beach Boys.
Saturday, August 5
12:00 PM - Free Family Fun Festival, Presented by Allen Lima Leadership
Bean Town Baggers Cornhole Tournament, food trucks, live music from local bands.
7:30 PM - Ian Munsick in concert with special guests Derek Alan and Liam Stolly
Ian Munsick is married to Caroline Rudolph, the daughter of Jim Rudolph, CEO of Rudolph Foods.
 
More details about the grand opening events are available at limaciviccenter.com/panglepavilion
 
 
 
 
Rotary President Lesley Fry
 
Amphitheater Committee Co-Chair Rich Rudolph
 
Civic Center CEO Abe Ambroza
 
Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman
 
Lima Mayor Sharetta Smith