Lithia Shed Gettin’ Prepped

The Lithia Amphitheater, located at Central Point, Ore.’s Jackson County Fairgrounds / Expo Park , is almost finished.

“It’s about 95 percent complete now,” venue executive director Chris Borovansky told Pollstar. “We’re looking at an opening probably in late spring for a gala concert.”

Before the grand opening, Borovansky said the 5,900-seat shed will host a handful of smaller concerts to make sure everything is running properly. He added that the venue will work in conjunction with Jacksonville, Ore.’s Britt Festival.

“We hope they’re going to be one of our anchor tenants, actually,” he said. “They’ve done Ray Charles, Kenny Loggins, Jewel – pretty high-end stuff.”

The $3.8 million project will host concerts throughout the summer season from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Borovansky said. It was paid for by the fair through contributions, grants and $900,000 received from Jackson County, which owns the venue, according to the Mail Tribune.

But Borovansky hopes to raise about $250,000 more for additions to landscaping and the backstage area.

“It’s going to be a work-in-progress for a while – for the first year or two,” he said. “Most of the backstage area will be modular.”

Borovansky hopes the venue will be accessible to a wide variety of acts. He also mentioned he is looking to work with promoters including Double Tee Concerts and House of Blues. And if the situation is right, Lithia may do in-house booking, he said.