Built a Concert Pavilion

David and his helpers built an outdoor stage and pavilion for Life Church in Canton. His project was inspired by his passion for music, his involvement in the youth group, and a desire to give back to his church.

David started planning his project in early 2017, over a year before breaking ground. His original idea was to build an outdoor stage for his church and get electrical service pulled out to the stage. It turned out that Canton Township would require site plan and special land use approvals before he could even get started. He had to recruit an architect to develop site plans and construction drawings as well as a licensed builder to pull the permits and oversee the construction. The construction phase finally started in June of 2018 and was completed in November.

The sheer magnitude of the project created additional challenges. As it turned out, this is not a standard pavilion. The foundation for the roof required four 28-inch wide footers to be dug as well as 22 more 18-inch wide footers for the stage and ADA ramp. These footers required a full day of digging with a Bobcat and auger bits, and called for nearly 9 cubic yards of cement; that’s almost enough to fill a cement truck! The electrical service required 350 feet of underground directional boring and another 100 feet of trenching to reach the main building. The 12 by 12 pressure treated posts supporting the roof structure weighed over 300 lbs each and took 4 grown men to move into place. The 30-foot long header weighed nearly 1,000 lbs and required heavy equipment to lift into place. The stage, roof structure and electrical were all completed in time for the stage’s first big concert event in late July 2018. It still took several big workdays in early September to complete the ADA ramp and back wall.

In total, the project took over 1,000 hours and just under $31,000 to complete. It was fully funded through donations of time, materials, and money from inside and outside of his church. The pavilion will host outdoor church services, evening youth group services, young adult programs, concerts, weddings, and community events for years to come.

— David, Troop 854, Canton, Mich.

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