Cobble Hill Common is located in the heart of Cobble Hill Village, and over the years the Cowichan Valley Regional District (the “CVRD”) has transformed what was historically a Provincial Ministry of Transportation and Transit road maintenance yard into an Electoral Area C community park. The park has proven to be popular for organized outdoor events, primarily due to the large, open, level grass area and accessibility which can accommodate hundreds of people in the outdoor setting. Transformation of the park allowed for expansion of the long-standing annual Cobble Hill Agricultural Fair, and beginning in 2017, the Cobble Hill Event Society also began hosting "Music in the Park" at the Cobble Hill Common. Over the years the attendance and success of the summer music event series has continued to grow. Outdoor performances for both events are held on small temporary wooden uncovered stages with the use of a nearby power outlet to run equipment.
In support of the growing popularity and interest for outdoor performances at the Cobble Hill Common, the CVRD is moving forward with the design and construction of a covered outdoor performance stage/bandshell at the Common in the general area of the existing temporary music in the park stage. The vision and concept for the bandshell emphasizes the need for a structure that aligns with Cobble Hill’s historical and rural character while incorporating functional and aesthetic elements suitable for year-round use, inclusive of the following components for consideration:
• An approximately 24’ x 24’ raised stage platform with a concrete foundation;
• Wood post-and-beam open structure (with potential to add side wall(s) in future) with a metal roof;
• A front curved stage and/or roofline to enhance visual appeal and acoustic projection;
• Accessibility considerations, including a ramp for performer/equipment access;
• Potential for or preparing to allow for future electrical service, lighting and outlet connections integrated into the structure.
Potential donated materials and/or donated professional / construction services to complete the bandshell project could include, but are not limited to:
•Donated professional/construction services to provide architectural, engineering, excavation/backfill, electrical, underground utility installation, carpentry, concrete finishing, painting/staining services.
• Donation of materials such as aggregates, concrete, rebar, dimensional lumber, structural timber posts/beams/rafters, fasteners and hardware, metal roofing, gutters, paint/stain products, rental construction equipment.
The CVRD has concurrently issued a separate Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ) as Stage 1 of the procurement process to establish a list of qualified contractors. These selected contractors will then be invited to submit detailed technical and fee proposals for design and construction the Project during Stage 2 – the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
Businesses that have an interest in donating materials or professional services to this project are invited to complete Appendix A – Materials & Professional/Construction Services Donation/Contribution Form and submit it electronically either at the CVRD’s Bonfire portal or by email to purchasing@cvrd.bc.ca no later than 2:00 PM Pacific Time on September 2, 2025.
Your submission form will be shared with the qualified contractors selected during Stage 1 – the Prequalification process. These contractors may contact you as they prepare their fee proposals for Stage 2- the RFP process.
Donations made in support of the bandshell construction will be recognized on a dedicated donations kiosk to be installed at Cobble Hill Common. The kiosk will share project information and include a list of businesses that donated accepted materials and/or professional services used in the construction of the project. Please note that the CVRD will not be issuing tax receipts as part of this EOI process.
For any questions regarding this bandshell project, please direct inquires in writing to Mark VandenDungen, Parks & Trails Planner at Mark.VandenDungen@cvrd.bc.ca.
