Shovels are poised to break ground on the Amphitheater in The River Walk at Central Park. The final step needed to drop the green start flag is official approval by Flower Mound’s Town Council.
The Dec. 19 council agenda lists a request for an amphitheater site plan approval, as well as a request for a Specific Use Permit (SUP) for the amphitheater and splash pad outdoor amusement and recreation use, plus adopting an ordinance to that purpose. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval at its meeting last Monday.
“We’re very excited to bring this to Flower Mound as a venue for the whole community,” said Bobby Dollak, senior project engineer of G&A Consultants, during an overview presentation for the commissioners.
A two-storied, 16,685-square-foot building wraps around the “back” of the seating area along Royal Crescent Drive and will include office spaces for the River Walk Property Owner Association (POA), Flower Mound Police, a concession area and restrooms. There will be drop-off areas along the two-lane, one-way drive.
On either side of this building are tall arched retaining walls with parapets and wrought-iron guardrails along the top. The seating for 2,800 audience members—300 fixed seats and 2,500 lawn “seats”– steps down in tiers toward the center of the amphitheater and a 2,625-square-foot stage, with a two-story green room and storage area underneath.
The amenities are set on 3.7-acres at the eastern terminus of Central Park Avenue, with the water wall and actual river walk running behind the stage area. The amphitheater and adjacent splash pad below it are located between the Courtyard Marriott hotel to the north and restaurant row to the south.
Dollak said the vendors will feature food from restaurant row, which will help promote the nearby restaurants, as well as help keep the area clean.
In spite of the commissioners’ unanimous enthusiasm for the actual facility, a chronic issue of concern for The River Walk was voiced.
“For 2,800 additional people once the restaurants are operating and we’re full of people … where do 2,800 people park close enough to make this viable?” asked Chairman Claudio Forest.
Dollak said there will be a parking garage in the entertainment district, and an additional—yet to be determined—parking facility near the hotel, plus parking next to the restaurants and on-street parking for a potential of an excess of 1,374 spaces.
“The game plan is to have the amphitheater, the wedding chapel, the farmers market, the splash pad and the restaurants complete about the same time,” Dollak said.
Plans for the splash pad and farmers market should be presented to P&Z in January.
Construction is targeted to take approximately nine months.
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