First Merit Event Park

In 2013, a new outdoor pavilion venue in downtown Saginaw was planned at the 2-acre site of a recently demolished shopping center. The $1.275 million outdoor pavilion was built in 2014 and holds 5,000 to 7,000 people for various types of events that include concerts, performances, festivals and special events.

Spicer Group assisted with the structural design and site engineering for the final design of the pavilion and bringing the project to construction-ready status. The pavilion was constructed almost entirely out of square-steel tubing. In total, nearly 900 pieces of steel, totaling 12,000 feet in length, were welded and bolted together to form a unique-looking 65-ton outdoor pavilion.

Spicer assisted with routing new electrical conduits, engineering a vendor access to the site and ensuring storm water was directed away from the area. A unique feature of the site design also includes the construction of slope seating, which simulates a bowl. This type of seating feature provides optimal site lines from all direction, giving attendees of any event the best possible viewing experience and enhances audio quality for visitors.