Jeannette amphitheater available to nonprofits for free this year

Nonprofits will be able to use Jeannette’s Clay Avenue amphitheater for free this year after the city successfully raised enough donations to cover the costs.

Councilman Chad Krawtz said $6,000 has been contributed and fees will be waived for events held by nonprofits.

“Fortunately, we had a major donor step forward and give us a pretty good chunk of change to help,” he said during last week’s council meeting.

The amphitheater is regularly used by church and local groups for events that include Food Truck Thursdays, concerts, community celebrations and back-to-school giveaways. Events hosted by other groups are charged $75 per hour plus electricity. Any group, including nonprofits, having an event there will be required to have it approved by council and pay a $100 street closure fee.

Several of those requests were approved during Thursday’s meeting, including the Jeannette Business Association’s Glass City Heritage Festival and Sparkle of Christmas events. The city is hoping to attract as many nonprofits to use the space as possible, said Ethan Keedy, chief fiscal officer.

Krawtz identified the donors as: Jeannette Business Association; Jeannette Initiative; Jeremy Mock, founder of EGA Associates, and his sister Denise Ward, who co-own the Glass City Cafe coffee shop on Clay Avenue; and individual council members Chuck Highlands and Brian Lawrence. The donors received a round of applause during the meeting. Keedy said the city could embark on the same sponsorship program next year.

Mayor Curtis Antoniak praised the contributions and Krawtz’s initiative to help nonprofits.

“Your idea really blossomed,” Antoniak said. “I know Ligonier has their Diamond, but that’s our diamond down there.”

The amphitheater, at Clay Avenue and Fifth Street, was completed in 2020 by Westmoreland County Community Action through Jeannette’s Neighborhood Partnership Program. It was named the Elliott Group Amphitheater after a global company headquartered in town.

The lot once was home to a vacant three-story building that was destroyed by fire in 2016. The city acquired the property after the fire and partial collapse left the building unsafe.