LEWISTON — Volunteers hoping to restore Kennedy Park’s gazebo will ask city councilors Tuesday for help hiring project designers.

City Administrator Ed Barrett said a committee working to resurrect the bandstand gazebo would ask for money from the city’s Community Development Block Grant fund to pay for initial design work.

“Before they can get started raising money to repair it, they need some idea of the scope of the work,” Barrett said. “They are looking to see what the options actually are for renovating and restoring the structure.”

 Councilors created the restoration committee in November to raise money and come up with a suggested scope of work to repair the failing gazebo. They are scheduled to report back to the City Council by the end of July.

Tuesday’s meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers.

The gazebo has been closed down since March 2010 due to safety concerns — damage to the concrete floor of the structure as well as erosion on the brick supports and wear on the wooden columns and the wood structure under the roof.

Restoration would involve replacing the concrete floor with wood paneling and the iron rails around the stage with wooden banisters. The brick walls around the floor would be replaced with wooden lattice, as well.

According to history of the gazebo written by local historian Douglas Hodgkin, the first bandstand was built in the park in 1868 but the current gazebo was built in 1925.

Since then, it has been used for concerts and band performances as well as political rallies for local, Maine and national candidates.

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