AUBURN – The newest feature at Festival Plaza might need some some finishing touches, but it’s good enough to use. Public works employees building the modular band shell in July. It’s designed to be mostly permanent, but portable. Crews will put it up each spring and take it down for the winter.

The band shell was designed by city construction engineer Bill Kelley and built by city welder Warren Libby to make Festival Plaza more acoustical, especially for the Auburn Community Band.

“They certainly play there more than anybody else,” said Recreation Coordinator Peter Bushway.

The city had planned to use the new shell temporarily, building a more permanent structure years down the road. They’re rethinking that now.

“Frankly, the original plan for a Festival Plaza band shell was a bit more expansive,” said City Manager Pat Finnigan. “But this really seems to be serving us well. I think they did a great job building it.”

Future plans for Festival Plaza include installing bathrooms and an information kiosk, as well as some architectural features.

“But those are not recommendations – not essentials,” Finnigan said. “They’d all be years down the road.”