As the future of the Sedona Cultural Park and its Georgia Frontiere Performing Arts Pavilion awaits a decision by Sedona residents, the professionals most involved in the park’s creation have put their evaluations of the pavilion’s condition on record with the city of Sedona.

Structurally Sound

The park’s architects, Dan Jensvold and Stephen Thompson, inspected the Frontiere Pavilion on Jan. 12 and found no signs of significant deterioration of the structure in spite of 20 years of neglect.

On Feb. 17, Jensvold returned to the park with Jack Trummer, a Phoenix-based structural engineer with whom he and Thompson have collaborated on numerous projects in Sedona.

Jensvold and Trummer documented the results of this second pro bono inspection in a March 14 letter to Sedona Director of Public Works Andy Dickey, stating that they wanted to “set the record straight” after hearing “speculation regarding the ‘degraded’ condition of the amphitheater.”

“Upper masonry walls are in structurally sound shape,” the letter read. “Orchestra pit and concrete stage are in good, structurally sound condition. Arched glu-lam [glued-laminated timber] beam concrete piers and associated galvanized steel base connectors are in perfect shape. However, they could benefit from a touch-up to remove graffiti for cosmetic reasons, so consider sandblaster Perth. Pressure-treated arched glue-lam beams are in satisfactory, structurally sound condition … Stage house superstructure galvanized steel & ‘floating’ stage roof steel framing shows no indication of any structural issues.”

Jensvold and Trummer noted the absence of irrigation, lighting and electrical connections that had been ripped out by the park’s previous owner, and observed that the stage flooring and roofing are due for replacement.

“We understand that there’s speculation that the amphitheater should be torn down and used for workforce housing,” the letter continued. “It is our professional opinion that the use of the amphitheater as a location for workforce housing is not feasible because building on a +/- 30% slope would not be an economical solution as compared to a more level undisturbed building site.”

“The existing facility represents many millions of invested public dollars in its present condition, and with a relatively modest effort can be restored to its previous status as a world-class venue and cultural performance heart of Sedona and the Verde Valley,” Jensvold and Trummer concluded.

“It would be a travesty to get rid of this place,” Trummer said after inspecting the pavilion. “All the concrete looks good. All the block looks good … I see no indications of any structural deterioration.”

“This place will be here for a number of years if you didn’t do anything to it,” Trummer added, suggesting that the arches should be refinished, but also remarking that “a hundred years” would be a reasonable lifespan for the structure.

When asked if refurbishing the pavilion would involve any significant challenges, Trummer replied, “Money.”

Western Wood Structures

Jensvold and Trummer were joined in their representations to the city by Hazen Hyland, vice president of Western Wood Structures, the company that engineered and built the Frontiere Pavilion. In his letter to Dickey, Hyland laid stress on WWS’ extensive experience with timber bridge structures.

“We mention bridges above because most bridges are 100% unprotected from the weather,” Hyland stated. “This requires the timber components to be treated to protect the bridge from Mother Nature … The same treatment process was intentionally chosen and used on the Sedona amphitheater, which, like bridges, is unprotected from the weather. This amphitheater was designed for 50-plus years of use, but the more likely scenario is that it lasts 75-plus years with minimal effort.”

“WWS offers inspection services for any and all heavy timber structures,” Hyland continued. “It would not be too costly to inspect and create a detailed report to determine the ‘health’ of the Sedona amphitheater, though we expect the results to have little to no red flags.”

Hyland also referred to Northern Arizona University’s J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, at the time of its construction the largest clear-span timber dome in the world, which was designed and built by WWS in 1977.

“It should be noted that this Skydome is now 46 years old, or roughly double the age of the Sedona amphitheater structure,” Hyland wrote. “This structure has become a pillar of the NAU community and is set to last another 4-plus decades.”

“Tearing down the Sedona Amphitheater would be sad, on many levels, for the local community, local or famous musicians, standup comics, theatre performance and local businesses that could receive much-needed revenue generated from an event,” Hyland maintained. “Seems like more than ever, on the heels of a pandemic, people are craving events [to] attend. And music continues to lead the way in bringing people together … We would encourage the decision makers of Sedona to re-invest and clean up this amphitheater grounds, bringing it back to its original glory for the entire world to experience.”

City Response

“I have not completed an engineering assessment of the site,” Dickey said in a statement when asked if he concurred with the conclusions presented in the letters. “All things being equal, yes, building housing on a sloped site does present more challenges than building on a level site.”

Dickey did not comment on a specific request to address the expected lifespan of the Frontiere Pavilion as outlined in the engineers’ statements.

Moving Forward

Restoring the Frontiere Pavilion and the Sedona Cultural Park to a condition in which the park could host a major music festival would cost between $3 million and $5 million, Jensvold estimated.

However, all of the park’s infrastructure would not have to be renewed at once.

“You could do it in phases, too,” Jensvold said. “You could do portable lighting … You could just go for the lower terraces and get in 2,000 people just by going up to the sound booth. Get some railings in. You could spend a couple hundred thousand, just to clean it up.”

As for the stage itself, which is showing some wear, “just put inch and an eighth plywood on top of it. The framers could do that in two days,” he said.

“It doesn’t have to be that elaborate,” Trummer agreed.

“It’s better, if you don’t want it to be a venue, just make it a park, as is,” Jensvold said. “People could sit here and have picnics.”

The process for deciding the fate of the Frontiere Pavilion and the amphitheater as a cultural venue is unclear. The council vowed to hold public meetings at the time of purchase. Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow stated at an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute lecture, prior to any public meetings, that the redevelopment of the Cultural Park will be carried out by a private developer, which may be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization.

If that developer chooses to refurbish and reopen the amphitheater as part of its master plan for the site, the city will have the options of allowing it to reopen, denying any application that proposes reopening it or bulldozing it prior to beginning the redevelopment process in order to take that option off the table.

In the meantime, the park’s designers continue to speculate about which artists they would like to see perform at the restored Frontiere Pavilion. During their February inspection, names kept floating across the stage. Maynard James Keenan. Chicago. Stanley Clark. Esteban.

“We could have Harry Styles,” Jensvold laughed.

“Steve Winwood would be good,” Trummer’s wife Rosemary suggested.

“It’s a miracle the city bought this place,” Jensvold said.

Riley Hilbert’s original petition to save the Cultural Park can still be read and signed at Change.org. Hilbert has also set up Facebook and Instagram pages for those interested in organizing to revive the park as a performance venue.