HOWARD, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – For years, Village of Howard officials have been looking to create a new focal point for the community and they believe a pavilion project will be able to do that.
The Arnold and Gloria Schmidt Pavilion, which has an early estimated price tag of between $12 million and $13 million, would be built just off of Cardinal Lane, northwest of the Howard library and YMCA.
The pavilion site is currently a grass field in front of the Howard Commons apartments.
“There’s a lot of events usually during the summer months in this area, so they always do concerts and things like that, which tend to be pretty fun,” said Hunter May, who lives in the area.
“So, we’ve been doing that in a tent and having food trucks come in,” said Geoff Farr, the village’s public works director. “That is really kind of the spirit of the whole thing.”
Farr tells FOX 11 gatherings would become year round with the Arnold and Gloria Schmidt Pavilion. It would include an ice-skating rink in the winter and roller-skating in the summer, an amphitheater, activities center building, and splash pad.
“We’re looking at hopefully having glass drop doors that you might have seen at a restaurant or at the Packer stadium. That way we can kind of keep out the extreme cold.”
Dan Schmidt of Bay Industries is donating $4.87 million over 15 years to help make the project happen.
“I think he probably wanted to honor his parents and give some recognition that way and we are very, very happy to have him making the naming rights donation,” said Farr.
Farr says the rest of the money will come from tax revenue from other development in the area, which there appears to be plenty of considering the pavilion site is surrounded by new housing projects.
“This used to be a farm field. There wasn’t any value. By adding all these buildings, that generates tax revenue to pay off the improvements for facilities, public improvements, and the pavilion itself.”
“We can just sit on our porch and listen to live music, so I imagine if they built this up, that would be pretty cool,” said May.
The village hopes to have the project done by spring or summer of 2023.
