The Site

The site plan includes:

• Northeast stage orientation to take advantage of existing sound barriers and to maximize the crowd area;
• Area designated for food trucks;
• Area designated for future playground;
• Walking paths, overlooks, and aerators to use the pond as an amenity;
• “Front of House” pad for audio technician;
• Wide service corridor for trucks and equipment;
• Future support building for public restrooms and concessions;
• Entry court; and
• Walking path.

These features have been identified for the long-term plans for the park but will not all be included in its first phase. Click on the image at right for a full-size high-resolution image of the site plan.

The Amphitheater 

The amphitheater measures 40 feet by 60 feet and provides a stage with basic lighting and audio that can be used by community performing arts groups and residents for public and private events, as well as for major community events produced by the Village of Oswego and our partners. 

Look for more information on rentals for the space ahead of the Spring 2022 event season. For more information, including full specs and availability, contact Julie Hoffman. 

History and Public Input

In October 2019, the Oswego Village Board accepted the donation of about three acres of land on Station Drive, adjacent to the planned site of a future Oswego Metra station, for use as a community amenity and entertainment venue.

Since that time, the Village has entered into contracts with Schoppe Design for land planning, Threshold Acoustics for an acoustical study, and Williams Architects for architectural and engineering design. In addition, the Village conducted an online community survey to identify opinions on how the entertainment venue should be used and conducted stakeholder interviews.

In July 2020, the Village hosted an open house to solicit resident feedback about possible designs for an outdoor amphitheater that could be used by community-based performance groups, as well as a plan for the site, which could host events throughout the year for our residents.

In February 2020, the Village of Oswego offered a survey to residents about their event attendance habits and desires for more outdoor entertainment options. A total of 495 people, 90 percent of whom identified as Oswego residents, responded to the survey. In July 2020, residents were invited to offer their comments on the designs proposed at the open house. You can view responses to both surveys here:

• Entertainment Options Survey Responses
• Open House Online Comment Card Responses

The Village broke ground on the site in fall 2020.

What about the noise?

The Village hired acoustical engineer Threshold Acoustics to perform an analysis on the sound impacts of the proposed entertainment venue. Their report looked at different orientations to face the stage and found that due to the existing berming and separation from neighborhoods from the BNSF railroad tracks, detention pond, and the Orchard Road bridge, amplified sound typical of a concert and entertainment venue will not result in decibel levels that exceed our code requirements at residential neighborhoods (60dBA during the day, and 55dBA at night). Williams Architects further stated that the effects shown in the report can be lessened even further by incorporating some absorptive materials in the back wall of the stage structure.

Click the image for a high-resolution version of the sound map.