BELLEFONTE — Members of the Stage at Talleyrand Development Committee updated the Bellefonte Borough Council at Monday’s work session about where they are with the project, highlighting design modifications and the need for a final decision on whether the project can move forward.

Representing the Development Committee, Rick Jacobs outlined the project’s development since its inception in 2021, noting setbacks due in part to the Bellefonte Borough Water Authority’s proposed plan to uncover the Big Spring.

The performance stage, known as the Stage at Talleyrand, was proposed to provide a proper multi-functioning outdoor performing arts facility better fit to accommodate performers and audiences. Currently, performances are held at the park gazebo, which lacks proper acoustics due to its inopportune location and design.

Joined by Tom Wilson, Kay Kustanbauter, Tom Bathgate, Michael Demond and Talley Fisher, Jacobs gave a chronology of the project beginning with the cooperative agreement between the committee, Downtown Bellefonte, Inc. and Bellefonte Borough to create the public asset.

In May 2022, following a formal request for proposals and a review of submissions, the Development Committee tapped HLA Architects to develop the schematic design. Through July, the team conducted several design sessions to finalize their vision and generate a cost estimate aligned with their budget. During this time, the Development Committee also presented the stage plan to Bellefonte Borough Council and began fundraising, quickly securing a $1 million Department of Community and Economic Development grant alongside sizable private contributions.

By August of that year, the fully updated budget and supporting materials had been prepared and distributed. Jacobs explained that at this point, the overall scale of the project was reduced by 35 percent, though the stage itself remained the same size. However, in October, borough council leased the former Subway building to Pelican Snoballs, a shaved ice vendor, altering the previous agreement the Stage Committee had with the borough regarding the use of that property.

In December, the committee presented updated renderings, new project estimates and a comparison to the original design to the Borough Council.

“As we were scaling down the project, we made sure that the stage would stay the same size because one of the ideas was to have the Bellefonte Community Band be able to play there,” said Jacobs.

They could, however, shrink the overall size of the structure, which originally included bathrooms for guests and performers, dressing rooms and a reservable meeting space.

In 2023, the team gathered letters of support from various organizations and held a public grant announcement at Big Spring to celebrate the $1 million DCED grant. However, by the end of the year, the Development Committee was met with a list of 12 “requirements” that had to be met before the borough would approve the project.

Rod Beard, the stage committee’s legal representative, noted that how they would comply remained unclear.

“It turns out that many of those points could not even be approached until the design was finalized, and the design couldn’t be finalized until we knew exactly what parcel of land we were going to use,” said Jacobs. “Some of them we can deal with, but many of them we can’t.”

Some of the requirements the committee has since attempted to address.

“Underlying some of those was almost a ‘Are you going to follow the law?’ ‘Are you going to do all those steps you need to do when you build a facility?'” said Jacobs, to which he added. “Of course we are.”

In May 2024, fundraising for the project was suspended, and work on the stage was minimized until the committee could better understand the borough council’s position.

“Then in August of last year, the water authority informed us of their work to uncover the Big Spring and told us our project would have to be on hold,” said Jacobs.

The committee met with the Water Authority, which stated they would need to wait for the Water Authority’s studies for the Big Spring project to be completed before receiving an answer.

“We thought that there was going to be an answer by the end of 2023. Now it doesn’t look like there is an answer in sight,” said Jacobs.

Presently, the water authority still does not have a working plan to uncover Big Spring, and the Stage at Talleyrand’s work remains on hold. The committee believes the situation will continue until the $1 million DCED grant expires, underscoring the urgency of receiving an answer on whether the project can move forward.

“Given the uncertainty of the Big Spring project, and the idea that wells might need to be drilled where we are anticipating the stage… we met with our architect, went over the park and we proposed that if we can’t have that space — in the spirit of working with the water authority — we could move the stage to the other side of the park,” said Jacobs.

With the Pelican building no longer an option, the committee decided to develop a less expensive, smaller facility.

Jacobs noted that the new location of proposed stage, across the park from the original proposed spot, would still have a large lawn for patrons to sit on and that its location near the railroad bridge offers distinct advantages, including better sound isolation, less interference with the water authority’s plans, easier parking access and proximity to restrooms.

Councilmembers Doug Johnson and Joanne Tosti-Vasey expressed concerns about the new location. Johnson raised concerns about flooding, but Jacobs assured him that the structure would be built on pilings to mitigate any flood risks.

Tosti-Vasey explained that the borough had preferred the original location because of past issues with trucks damaging the grounds.

“If there can be some way to make sure that we don’t have ruts in the ground and the borough doesn’t have to regularly fix it, I don’t see a problem,” said Tosti-Vasey. Jacobs assured her that would not be an issue.

“We have tried to respond to all the issues that have been raised,” said Jacobs, who said they always wanted the stage to be a partnership with the borough. “We need to get an answer as to whether we’re going to go ahead with this project.”

According to Jacobs, the project’s two largest grants — the $1 million DCED grant and a secondary grant from Lowe’s — are set to expire at the end of the year.

“We really have to get underway very shortly to spend the money that we have already got in our pockets,” he said.

Mike Desmond, another committee member, emphasized that the delay is hindering both fundraising efforts and material progress.

“We have people who are interested, but they aren’t ready to contribute unless we have a commitment,” he said.

Desmond acknowledged the borough’s financial concerns but expressed confidence that the stage would be an asset rather than a liability.

Councilmember Randy Brachbill asked if the stage would be possible to progress while the water authority works on uncovering the Big Spring.

“Both of these projects are working towards the same end,” responded Tom Wilson, also of the committee. He noted that they want to work as a team and that their project may be completed by the time that the Big Spring is ready to be uncovered.

“It doesn’t need to be a contentious situation. We are working towards the same goal. To make Bellefonte better,” he said.

Kay Kustanbauter said she sees the stage as an opportunity and an asset.

“This town is on its way up and I think this is one thing that will help,” she said.