The Long's Park Amphitheater is undergoing a minor face-lift in preparation for a 47th summer of music and arts on its grounds.

Local businesses, including Wickersham Construction and Engineering Inc. — which built the amphitheater in 1962 at a cost of $65,000 — have chipped in to pay for the repairs.

Doug Cherry, Wickersham's director of business development, said his company has helped maintain the amphitheater since its construction. He said the theater is somewhat of an overlooked gem that needs to be preserved: "It's such a beautiful facility," he said.

"Not all cities have a nice facility where you can put 50,000 people in a safe, secure, clean setting to enjoy music and arts."

Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation — a nonprofit organization spun off from Sertoma Club of Lancaster in 1962 — maintains the outdoor amphitheater and stages its performances. The amphitheater was built using money raised by the Sertoma Club. Since 1978, the 21-member foundation, which includes seven Sertoma members, has underwritten the cost of a free summer music series there.

Wickersham recently completed repairs on the roof of the amphitheater.

"(Former) state Sen. Gib Armstrong worked with the Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation to get a $20,000 grant to do the roof work," Brad Singer, chairman of the foundation's property committee, said.

Singer said the roof membrane was separating from the rest of the structure, which could have led to severe water and structural damage.

"If it was allowed to go on, it would have caused significant problems for the entire structure," he said.

The foundation had taken bids from roofing companies offering to do the job for about $65,000, Singer said.

The $20,000 state Department of Community & Economic Development grant, plus $3,500 from Wickersham, left the balance to be made up through donations to the foundation, Singer said.

That's when Wickersham offered to repair the roof for about $36,000, Singer said.

"Their connections within the building industry definitely aided in getting the roof repaired," Singer said. "We were basically getting retail pricing and they got us the wholesale price."

Cherry said Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation is returning the favor by placing a Wickersham banner at events at the park and featuring the company on promotional materials.

Singer said the foundation also will receive paint and repairs through the efforts of Two Dudes Painting Co., 750 Poplar St., and David L. Wauls, past president of Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation.

Wauls and Two Dudes Painting have arranged to have the Lancaster chapter of Painting and Decorating Contractors of America repaint the amphitheater this coming spring at no charge.

Singer said the foundation also wants to add air conditioning to the amphitheater's dressing rooms, where entertainers often sweat it out during the hot and humid summer concert series. Wickersham is working on a free feasibility study for the renovations, which are expected to cost $5,000 to $10,000.

Singer said the foundation is considering a special fundraiser. He said people tend to "dig a little deeper" when donations are earmarked for a specific project.

"We have some very generous donors, but not enough of them, of course," Singer said, chuckling. "You never have enough."

E-mail: pburns@lnpnews.com