By this time next year, entrepreneur Charlie Vrabel says, there will be a new entertainment outlet in West Deer.
The township supervisors approved plans last month to build an amphitheater at his business, No Offseason Sports, at 940 and 982 Little Deer Creek Valley Road in the township’s Russellton neighborhood.
Brickyard Park Holdings LLC sought to build the facility and related parking lots at the youth sports complex. Brickyard is the parent company of No Offseason Sports, said Joe Voloch, director of operations at the sports facility.
Vrabel said the concert venue would be used during slower periods at the facility, mainly July through September.
According to township documents, the venue primarily is intended to host concerts but eventually could include festivals. When the venue hosts events, other activities at the property, except for the restaurant, will be closed.
The ticketing system will be issued on a per-vehicle basis, so attendance will be limited based on the number of parking spots available, Vrabel said. The method will provide better traffic control and a better experience for concertgoers, he added.
Township conditions commit the venue to have a maximum of 5,300 attendees.
Voloch said there are 1,000 parking spots in the complex.
“Everybody that comes to our concerts will get a first-class show,” Vrabel said.
He said a concert lineup will be released in a few months.
Other conditions imposed by the township include limiting events to once per week, between May 1 and Sept. 30, and having no events during home Deer Lakes High School football games to avoid police staffing issues.
Events Sundays through Thursdays must be over by 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday events must be over by 11 p.m.
Parking lots are to open no earlier than three hours before an event and close 90 minutes afterward. Noise levels must comply with township ordinances, and alcohol sales must end an hour before an event concludes.
Police must approve a traffic management and safety plan, and the applicant is responsible for all costs related to police details as determined by the chief.
Stage lighting must be focused on the stage or audience areas, the conditions state. No fireworks, lasers or pyrotechnics are allowed. All parking must occur on the site’s property, walk-ins are prohibited and the property must be kept clean.
“We want it to be a great experience,” Voloch said.
The amphitheater is the newest project at the facility.
Since 2020, No Offseason Sports has added a 14,000-square-foot building containing Barnyard Coffee & Creamery, La Vite restaurant and Precision Physical Therapy and Performance, as well as two soccer fields and three baseball fields, Voloch said.
