MBT Foundation donates $20,000 to Mantorville bandshell

Construction will be getting under way soon on the Bandshell in Riverside Park in Mantorville with the project finished by the city’s Fall Festival, according to Tom Monson of MBT bank in Mantorville. The project got an added boost last week when MBT Bank’s owner’s foundation, the Hanson Family Foundation, made a $20,000 donation to the project.
Monson said work on the project began in earnest nine or ten months ago with a conversation with Klaus Alberts who said that his company, Home Improvement Professionals, would donate materials and labor.
Conversations continued with the City Council, Park Board, Chamber of Commerce and other groups. Everyone contacted, Monson said, supported the project. In January, he said, the Council officially passed a motion approving $500 to begin the effort. With the city officially on board, he said, work began with WHKS, the city engineering firm to plan the project and make sure everything was done correctly. Additional donations were received, and a grant was also secured.
When the bandshell is completed, Monson said, it will be donated to the city of Mantorville.
Monson said the cost of constructing the bandshell will be between $110,000 and $115,000. The project is being funded by private sponsors who have pledged in-kind support, other donations, a grant received through the Compeer Financial Rural Feasibility Study grant program, $1,000 from the Mantorville EDA and the initial $500 from the city’s General Fund.
Donations for the project are being handled by the Mantorville Restoration Association.
Monson said the idea for the bandshell is that it will provide a place for outdoor music and performance in a family-friendly space. One specific idea, he said, is to have music in the parks on Tuesdays coinciding with the Mantorville Farmers Market.
The location, he said, was chosen because the park is already a green space that is easily accessible, already has some amenities and is within walking distance of Main St. It has been located to avoid moving any existing facilities in the park, he said
The design of the bandshell is similar to the one in Stewartville, he said.
When completed, he said, the bandshell will be available for reservation through the city of Mantorville.
Preliminary site work has been done with construction on the actual bandshell to begin now that Marigold Days are over. It is anticipated that the bandshell will be completed in time for Mantorville’s Fall Festival in October.