LEWISTON — The City Council on Tuesday put the fate of Kennedy Park’s historic gazebo and bandstand in the hands of a newly formed committee.

Councilors voted to create a Restoration Committee to solicit donations, raise money and come up with a suggested scope of work to repair the failing gazebo. The committee will report back to the council by July 31, 2012.

In September, councilors said they’d be willing to match efforts to preserve the old structure, up to $75,000, if volunteers could generate the rest.

The committee will be made up of seven volunteers. The city will begin taking nominations for the committee and Mayor Larry Gilbert will appoint the committee.

The gazebo has been closed since March 2010 due to safety concerns. It has suffered damage to the concrete floor, 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.

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

Since then, it’s been used for concerts and band performances, as well as political rallies for local, Maine and national candidates. It was the site of a November 1960 rally featuring Sen. John F. Kennedy just before he won the presidential election. The park surrounding the gazebo was named Kennedy Park in his honor shortly after his 1963 assassination.

[email protected]