Building on a Legacy

By Brad Gischia, Published in Marquette Monthly, February 2025
February 2025 Marquette Monthly by marquettemonthly – Issuu
Photos added by City of Marquette Arts and Culture

Every city has its iconic places. Run a Google search of Marquette and you’ll see the ore docks, the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, maybe a view of downtown and, often enough, the Presque Isle Bandshell.

The bandshell is a special place in Presque Isle Park. It marks a spot where people have been coming for generations to enjoy concerts in a setting that only the Upper Peninsula could provide. The beautiful green slope behind the shell is a perfect backdrop for the music projected at the audience, and the band gets an even better view over the heads of their admirers – Lake Superior in the summer sun.

That bandshell, however, will soon be a thing of the past. For nearly a century, the structure has housed concerts and dances and marriage proposals. But even buildings need to retire.

It’s worn out.

The bandshell was built in 1935, though the Marquette City Band, founded in 1887, was sponsoring dances at the Presque Isle Pavilion as early as 1920. In the 1950s, the regular Sunday afternoon concerts were removed from the schedule, which left only the Thursday evening concerts.

“Those were most likely every Thursday night of the summer,” said Steve Grugin, director of the Marquette City Band since 2011 and cochair of the committee raising funds for a new bandshell. “Recently we decided we’d like to perform pieces that were a little bit more difficult to play, so we cut the weekly performances to around seven or eight a summer.”

Grugin remembers that Bob Moore, a longtime Marquette resident and band member who passed away in 2019, told him a story about the bandshell when it was “just a slab.”

“I did a little quick math, and Bob joined the band when he was 13,” Grugin said. “That would have been a year or two before the shell was built.”

Throughout its time as a centerpiece of Marquette music, the shell has seen its share of notable events. In 1987, the MCB was joined by the Marquette Choral Society for a special concert. In 1990, then-Gov. James Blanchard was in attendance. At a concert directed by Dr. Mark Flaherty in 1999, the MCB welcomed a brass group called Amerikan Poijat under the direction of Dr. Paul Niemisto, in honor of FinnFest.

Sometimes cancelling a concert is a reason to take note. In the summer, the cause is usually a rainstorm or — since this is the Upper Peninsula, after all — a bout of snow flurries. But the bandshell has seen a few interesting cancellations.

The MCB called off a concert in 2003 because Lakeshore Boulevard was closed. That was the year of the Dead River flood that cut off access to Presque Isle. In 2011 the concert was moved to the Marquette Commons because a moose had been roaming around Presque Isle Park.

Grugin also remembers two of his students getting engaged at the shell during a concert.

It’s not these events, though, that make the bandshell such a memorable place; it’s the everyday, every-concert things. “I always hear stories about deer wandering through the crowd,” Grugin said. “For the band, it’s the [Upper Harbor] Ore Dock. The concerts start at 7:30, and usually around 8 o’clock they drop their load down onto the boat. Some people say it’s distracting, and I guess it can be if you’re not used to it, but for me it’s part of the charm of performing out there.”

All of these memories, and the millions more experienced by generations that have attended concerts there, add up to an aging structure that needs to be replaced.

Another 100-year bandshell

Grugin said he first met with the Presque Isle Commission in 2019 to discuss the physical state of the shell. When the pandemic struck in 2020, the band continued to perform but, because of distancing requirements, they moved a good portion of the group outside of the shell to the slope in front.

“It was really apparent in 2022 that the shell was not in good shape and that it had become unsafe,” Gru-gin said. “We began asking questions about how we were going to get a new bandshell.”

Enter the Ray and Peg Hirvonen Foundation, set up by the Hirvonens to help the Marquette community. “We tend to focus on youth, seniors and arts and culture,” said Linda Hirvonen, president of the foundation and Ray and Peg’s daughter. “I think we came to the city. My dad had just died and we were looking to name something in the city after my parents.” Hirvonen remembers that her mother loved going to the band concerts. “She wouldn’t miss them,” Hirvonen said.

When they heard about the need for a new shell, Hirvonen said they were happy to help. “The community really relies on that structure,” she said, “and it was no longer functional. We thought it would be a good thing to do.”

With a generous donation from the foundation, fundraising began for the new structure, which will be named the Peg Hirvonen Bandshell. Though a major obstacle to overcome, raising funds is only part of what needed to happen.

The band, in concert with the city, had to begin the entire design and bidding process. This is where architect Namdi Alexander comes into the picture.

“They issued an open request for proposals,” Alexander said, “and though we thought it was a long shot since we were an out-of-town firm, the project resonated with us.

“This is the type of work we like to do,” said Alexander, whose company, AWH Architects, is based in Minneapolis. “It has significance for the community, both historically and culturally, and to be part of that is really exciting for us.”

AWH was chosen for the project and immediately delved into the design process. Alexander, who also teaches design, said that one of the things he emphasizes with his students is that design is first and foremost listening.

“We all come with preconceived ideas and assumptions. That’s when we run into problems,” Alexander said. “That’s the difference between art and design. With art you want to disregard the rules and use free will. Design is working to operate within a series of constraints, and to understand those constraints you have to listen.”

So AWH started with listening. Company architects came to Marquette for a two-day session of meetings that included all involved parties, from user groups like the MCB and Marquette Symphony Orchestra, to local folk musicians and theater groups. Community members were also invited to voice their opinions.

AWH took all of the suggestions and started to build a list of needs and wants for the new building. “It can be tricky to navigate,” Alexander said, “but we took a ton of notes, and what we heard a lot was how much people loved the old bandshell.”

Grugin added, “People really want the new one to be reminiscent of the old one. We’re hoping for a better back-of-house area as well as handicap accessibility to the stage and audience areas.”

What began as construction of a new bandshell has become a redesign of that area of the park. “It will be better planned and thus greatly enhanced,” Grugin said.

“We did some initial designs and nailed down some things while keeping true to the historic building while giving the new one its own personality,” Alexander said. “We wanted to do some updating, like using glue-laminated beams instead of the heavy timbers that are in the original. They serve the same function but have a more modern aesthetic.”

Alexander also said that working with a large group on the design phase can be difficult. “You can’t design by committee,” he said. “The designer has to take all of these different perspectives and coalesce them into one idea. As long as we keep that as a touchstone, we felt like we would be in the right ballpark.”

With the initial work complete, it was time to bring a few of the design ideas to the public, which AWH and the MCB did at a concert last summer.

With the old bandshell as a backdrop, the community was welcomed to Presque Isle Park to discuss the design options and vote for the one they liked best. Alexander was there to field questions, and several musical groups were on hand to perform.

During that evening concert last August, the band and audience faced a familiar foe: the weather. “The band is stalwart,” Hirvonen said. “… It was barely 60 degrees and windy, and they still played. We were really amazed.” The event was a success. A design was chosen shortly thereafter, and progress is being made in the bid process. The committee hopes to have construction bids early this year. Alexander said, “Once we select a contractor, we’ll continue on through the construction administration phase, to make sure that things stay consistent with the design intent that we and the city expect.”

What can the city, the performers and the community as a whole expect from the new facility? “We want to produce another 100-year bandshell,” Alexander said. “There has been a trend of disposable construction that has sort of taken over the market. We really want to avoid that.”

Alexander said that although the initial cost might seem high, the architects are working on using materials that will last longer. “For example, we’re looking at a standing seam metal roof,” he said. “It’s more expensive up front, but you’re going to replace asphalt shingles two or three times in the life of a metal roof.”

Those considerations are important when looking at building longevity. “The interior materials are rot-resistant and durable to temperature fluctuations,” Alexander said. “We want to put the money where we can get the most longevity.”

Grugin is excited for the project to be under way and expects to begin demolition of the old bandshell in the spring. “The project will include all site work, including demolition of the old shell, building of the new shell, landscaping, even down to repaving of the road,” he said. “It’s a pretty big project.”

The City of Marquette reports that over half of the $2.1 million price tag has already been raised. Individuals, families and businesses interested in making a donation can do so at mqtcompass.com. That site will also include progress updates.

Of course, because of the demolition and construction happening at the site, there will be no concerts there this summer. This does not mean, however, that the City Band will be silent this year.

“We’re looking at several options right now,” Grugin said. “Nothing is certain quite yet.” He said that all updates to the 2025 summer concert series will be announced at marquettecityband.com and on the band’s Facebook page.

“The design of the new shell is fantastic,” Grugin said. “Everyone loves it, and the stage is designed so there will be much greater stage area for different types of events.”

Grugin said Alexander has been integral to the process. “He has really listened to what people have said and is working to make it the best situation for all concerned,” Grugin said.

Alexander added, “This has been a dream project and a ton of fun in a lot of ways. The city and the staff we’ve been working with has been great. We’ve felt completely welcomed and embraced when we’ve been here, and the collaborative nature of the project, working with everybody, has been amazing. It’s been an honor being part of and continuing the legacy of stories that will be built here.”

The new bandshell, when finished, will be a showpiece just as the old one was and promises to be the centerpiece of a million more memories.

“It’s a big part of the community,” Hirvonen said. “I think it’s important that it continues to be there.”

MM

Brad Gischia is a writer and artist native to Upper Michigan. He has published two children’s books and done illustrations for both comic books and novels.