The Twilight Concert Series "will go on" this summer, but where fans will hear the tunes remains unknown.
Casey Jarman, director of Salt Lake City's free, Thursday-night concert series, says he will announce the venue and band lineup in mid-April.
"We've got a great season planned," he said about the popular outdoor gigs. "We are not going on hiatus."
Some feared the $7 million overhaul of Gallivan Plaza, officially funded Tuesday, could shelve the concerts for 2010. Instead, the shows likely will shift to temporary digs before returning in 2011 to a rebuilt Gallivan -- with more space, 50 permanent restrooms and better sightlines.
Jarman says the 2010 series, from July 8 to Aug. 26, will take place in one of three downtown spots he declined to name. (One could be Gallivan itself, despite the construction, on a combination of the plaza space and Gallivan Avenue just south of the amphitheater.)
Last summer, Jarman noted the concerts could make a temporary jump to Library Square or Pioneer Park, although both places pose problems.
"Whatever the lineup ends up being, I would still go," said downtown resident Zach Jensen. "It's a social thing for everybody."
The audience -- a mix of hipsters, young professionals, suburban kids and families -- seems to be expanding. Attendance usually ranges from 7,500 to 15,000, city officials note, but the gate for one show last summer eclipsed 23,000.
Jensen prefers Library Square for the move. "You still want to stay in the downtown area. Not [Pioneer] Park."
Crews soon will demolish Gallivan's ice rink and skate-rental building, while granite pavers will be moved to expand the amphitheater. The renovation is designed to double the grassy area in front of the stage. The ice rink will be turned 90 degrees and shifted east alongside the Marriott Hotel. And a new two-story building along 200 South will house a rental office, reception space and the 50 first-floor restrooms.
The city's Redevelopment Agency Board agreed Tuesday to begin design of a $650,000 shade structure to make summer programming more comfortable. The RDA Board, which doubles as the City Council, also voted 5-0 to select Big-D Construction for the overall plaza makeover at a cost just north of $7.2 million.
Plans call for construction to be complete on the ice rink in time for the "Lights On" celebration in November. The building is slated for a February finish, while the landscaping changes should be done by May 2011.
Despite the dust, events will take place at Gallivan this summer. Earthfest is set for April 22, said Gallivan Manager Talitha Day, while Viva Salt Lake City is scheduled June 5. In August, the "Wednesday Rocks" concert series will commence on Gallivan Avenue.
Day notes each event will include food vendors on the plaza's west side, along with access to permanent restrooms and portable toilets on Gallivan Avenue.
