Lake Harriet Bandshell Restoration
With savings to taxpayers of $650,0000, McGowan Development successfully completed an all-volunteer, completely free estoration of the Lake Harriet Bandshell.
Concerned with the continued deterioration of the iconic Lake Harriet Bandshell, McGowan Development organized and successfully completed an all volunteer, completely free restoration of the Lake Harriet Bandshell. Enlisting partnerships with The Home Depot, 3M, United Rentals, Apogee Enterprises, Viracon, Graco, Pods, and twenty more large and small companies, McGowan Development's restoration saved Minneapolis taxpayers nearly $650,000.
Working side by side, over 200 neighborhood volunteers and 160 professional painters, carpenters, commercial window installers, welders, landscapers and other tradesmen completed the unprecedented
volunteer project in just three weeks. Though unknown to many neighbors, the Bandshell's entire wall of glass was replaced by Apogee and Viracon, representing the single largest contribution of
services. As testament to this Herculean volunteer project, eight neighborhood paint contractors selflessly donated over 4000 hours of free labor to paint the Bandshell buildings, all done during the
peak of their painting season.
Twin Cities media hailed McGowan Development's Bandshell restoration as "one of the greatest municipal volunteer projects----ever". Neighborhood volunteers and seasoned professionals worked together,
all experiencing an indelible sense of pride, teamwork, and accomplishment. As stated by the former Minneapolis Park and Recreation Superintendent, "It would have taken 50 of our people 10 years to
complete what was done in three weeks by McGowan Development".
To celebrate the Bandshell restoration, McGowan Development CEO Mark McGowan organized Lake Harriet Live!, a free, day-long music festival that drew 25,000 people and featured reggae, blues, rock,
country, jazz, and the Minnesota Orchestra directed by Osmo Vanska.
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