Preston Stensrud pointed out a support beam and bolts used to shore up the Marshall band shell at Liberty Park. After 75 years of use and weathering, the band shell’s structure is deteriorating, he said. The city of Marshall plans to replace the band shell with the help of nearly $500,000 in state grant funding.

MARSHALL — Marshall’s city band shell has been the site of countless concerts and community events. But after 75 years, the band shell’s foundations are shifting and its wooden support beams have deteriorated, said Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud.

“Refurbishment is not an option. It needs to be replaced,” Stensrud said this week.

Now, the project to design a new band shell is getting a big boost, from a state grant of nearly half a million dollars.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Historical Society announced it had awarded a total of $2 million in grant funds statewide through its Commemorative Statues, Memorials and Historic Preservation program. The list of recipients included the city of Marshall, which was awarded $498,000 to replace the current city band shell with a new design.

Stensrud said city staff and a local advisory committee have been working to get the design project going. “Grants like this make it easier for it to come to fruition,” he said.

City staff will be bringing recommendations for design proposals to the Marshall City Council in March, Stensrud said.

This round of grants was approved by the Minnesota Historical Society’s Executive Council in December. Besides the city of Marshall, grant recipients in southern Minnesota also included the Fairmont Opera House, which received $168,000 for historic preservation planning.

The city band shell has been part of Liberty Park since 1951. In the past few years, the structure has visibly started to deteriorate. On Friday, Stensrud pointed out where part of the side of the band shell was separating from its base. The city had the band shell evaluated by a structural engineer last year, and shored up the structure.

Stensrud said they plan to have the band shell inspected again this spring, to evaluate whether it would be safe to use. “Hopefully, we can use it one more season,” he said.

The city had sought state bonding money to help replace the band shell. While they didn’t receive those funds, they were invited to apply for a Minnesota Historical Society grant, Stensrud said. The project was a little different from the Historical Society’s usual focus on preservation. But it was “super exciting” to be selected for a grant, he said.

“We want to get the design all dialed in in 2026,” Stensrud said. The city recently received a total of 11 proposals for engineering and architectural services, and the band shell advisory committee will be interviewing select firms next week. He said the committee and city staff will bring their recommendations to the city council in March.

The goal for the project is to construct a new band shell in 2027, Stensrud said.