Wilmington leaders heard new details on Monday about upgrades planned for Greenfield Lake Park’s Hugh Morton Amphitheater.
Plans include a new viewing deck alongside the venue’s existing seating and a new recreation space for games, a beer garden and food trucks. Venue operator Live Nation will pay for the $240,000 in upgrades, and officials told the Wilmington City Council on Monday that the changes won’t impact ticket prices at the venue.
Located at 1941 Amphitheater Drive, the Hugh Morton Amphitheater is owned by the city of Wilmington but leased and managed by Live Nation. The company also manages the city-owned Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park.
In 2020, the city of Wilmington signed a 10-year contract with Live Nation for the management of both concert venues. The contract required Live Nation to invest $500,000 in the Greenfield Lake venue, including $250,000 within the first 18 months and another $250,000 by 2026, according to Amy Beatty, Wilmington’s community services and parks and recreation director.
The first round of upgrades cost $262,000 and included renovations to the stage house, restrooms and dressing rooms, along with upgrades to the venue’s sound system and lighting, among other items. The latest round of amphitheater improvements would install roughly 2,600 square feet of synthetic lawn inside a new fenced area and a concrete pad for a food truck. The recreation area could be used as a beer garden or for games ahead of concerts, Beatty said.
Plans also show the addition of new seats along the western edge of the amphitheater’s existing seating. Beatty said the new seating area is expected to be approximately 16 feet by 24 feet in size and won’t have fixed seating.
“The project goals are to enhance the user experience and maximize the space and flexibility of the space, which I think that we’re lacking a little bit right now,” Beatty said.
The Wilmington Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved the proposed changes in June. Now, plans need the OK from City Manager Tony Caudle to move forward. Work on the changes will start as soon as that approval is secured and will be completed before the next concert season, Beatty said.
Several council members also asked for a report from Live Nation detailing the number of seats available at the venue compared to the total number of tickets sold and the number of people who attended recent shows.
Live Nation General Manager Ryan Belcher told the city council that the idea for the new platform stemmed partly from a need for more seating at the venue.
“Greenfield Lake has 901 fixed seats, and we sell to a capacity of 1,470,” he said, “so there’s always a need for more seats.”
The deck will be used as “flex space” that could be used for “a variety of things,” according to Belcher, including general admission or VIP seating, artist meet-and-greets or as a sponsored seating area. How the area is used will depend on the demand and could change from concert to concert.
“But the venue as a whole will remain (general admission); we have no want to change any of that,” Belcher said. “That’s one of the unique things about this venue that’s unlike a lot around the country.”
Council members said they’ve heard concerns from the public about how the planned improvements could impact ticket prices or change the venue’s general admission ticket model. In response, Belcher said the venue’s ticketing model and the ticket prices won’t be affected.
Concertgoers will be able to purchase an upgrade to use the seating deck if it’s being used as a VIP area, just like the venue’s existing VIP upgrade area, Belcher said. The use of the deck is expected to vary depending on the concert, demographics and the number of tickets sold.
“It just kind of depends on the show and the demographic that shows up,” Belcher said. “Truly, every show is different.”
