BELLEFONTE — Talleyrand Park may be getting an exciting new addition in the very near future.

During Monday night’s Bellefonte Borough Council meeting, there was a discussion about adding a band shell to the park. Rick Jacobs, a 42-year Bellefonte resident, talked at length about the project, which is still in its infancy.

“We’ve been working on it for about a year and a half. I think we were here a couple of months ago, talking about it,” Jacobs said. “We’ve since solicited input from even more folks. It seems to be universally popular idea. It also seems to be growing in scope, which means we’ll be required to raise more money.”

The band shell would be located in Talleyrand Park near the old Subway building. Earlier this year, Bellefonte Borough purchased the former Subway building and property with plans to use the space to beautify the entrance to Talleyrand Park and Big Spring. The Subway building, at 219 S. Water St., has been vacant since the business closed last year. The Bellefonte Subway closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bellefonte mayor Tom Wilson has been a proponent of the band shell since the discussion began last year.

“We don’t plan to ask the borough for money. If plans go as outlined, we’ll actually be donating some money to the parks department,” Wilson noted.

A proper band shell, he said, could draw numerous bands, shows and acts to the park. It would be a community asset, he said.

“What we’re doing is building this as a gift to the community so the community can use it,” Wilson said.

The band shell would be home to the popular Talleyrand Park event Concerts in the Park. It would also likely get used during the Central PA Tasting Trail, the Bellefonte Arts and Crafts Festival, the Historic Bellefonte Cruise, Victorian Christmas and numerous other events.

Council member Jon Eaton asked if the venue would need a manager. According to Wilson, that’s a discussion for another day.

“If, down the road, it gets known as a pretty good venue, and promoters would say, ‘we’d like to put a concert on there’ … if it gets to that point five years down the road or so, we should have funds to put somebody in charge of doing that,” Wilson said.

Janitorial services, Wilson said, would cost around $200 per show.

“That’s not a lot,” he said.

Eaton said that he was concerned about the potential financial strain it could put on the borough.

“Yes, it’s a gift, but it’s a gift of obligation — long term,” Eaton said. “Once the gift is given, then it is ours to maintain. We will also have to ensure the maintenance of it.”

According to Wilson, the band shell will cost about “a million bucks” to build.

Downtown Bellefonte, Inc. will be heavily involved in fundraising for the band shell, he said.

Council member Melissa Hombosky, who is involved with DBI, said that the borough would be under no financial obligation as a result of the construction of a band shell.

“No one is asking the borough to raise taxes at all for this,” she said matter-of-factly.

She said that the project would be financed “100 percent” through fundraising and grants.

Council unanimously approved a “cooperation agreement” with the stage committee and DBI, which will allow for fundraising to get the ball rolling for the band shell.

Council will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15. The meeting is open to the public and masks are required. The meeting will also be streamed live on the borough’s website.