Lorain Port votes to build new beer pavilion for Black River Landing

By Richard Payerchin, The Morning Journal

A new 40-by-80-foot pavilion will be built at the Lorain Port Authority’s Black River Landing festival site.

The Port board on March 19 voted 7-2 to spend $140,690 for the new structure, which will have a 10-by-90-foot concrete pad for trucks to sit on and at least four electrical outlets, according to plans.

The winning bidder was Classical Construction of Apple Creek. The project cost includes a bid price of $127,900 and a 10 percent contingency fund of $12,790 to cover unexpected costs that come up during construction.

The new pavilion will be paid for with $80,000 from Ohio’s state capital budget, $20,000 from the Lorain County Solid Waste Committee and the Port’s annual budget.

The structure has been on the drawing board for months and in a special meeting March 19, the Port board reviewed benefits and potential drawbacks of the building, which will replace the tents used for sales of beer and wine during events at Black River Landing.

The new pavilion will be a wood structure. Steel was included as an alternate material to build it, but Classical Construction and the other bidder, Cornice Co., stated ordering steel would delay construction until at least the end of May.

Consulting architect Gary Fischer said the wood structure provided the most time sensitive approach and economical solution.

The board hoped to have the structure in place in by Memorial Day this year so it is ready for Lorain’s summer festival season.

Board members Carl Nielsen, Barbara Cook, Connie Carr, Brad Mullins, Steve Bansek, Neil Sommers and Roberto Davila voted in favor of the building; members Tom Brown and Alan Zgonc voted against it.

After discussing the purpose, aethetics and cost, Carr said the wood building would last as long as a steel one, be built on schedule and would be slightly cheaper than the metal structure. Board members noted it would cost an estimated $35,000 to buy or rent a tent for the season.

However, Brown said he was “more confused than ever” about the design and purpose of the new pavilion.

The new building will match the colors of the existing pavilions at the site, which is home to the Lorain International Festival Bazaar, other community events and this year the Rockin’ on the River concert series.