Three Rivers City Commission awards downtown amphitheater contract despite concerns

Editor’s note: Due to the length of the St. Joseph County Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 18 (which started at 5 p.m. in Centreville), Watershed Voice was unable to attend Tuesday’s Three Rivers City Commission meeting (which started at 6 p.m. in Three Rivers). We followed up with Three Rivers’ Third District City Commissioner Chris Abel for a first-person account of Tuesday’s proceedings.

The Three Rivers City Commission on Tuesday awarded the $1.46 million contract for the construction of a downtown amphitheater to Brussee Brady Construction. The funding comes from the city’s Community Development Block Grant.

The contract was awarded following a 6-1 vote, with First District Commissioner Pat Dane opposing the decision. During discussions, commissioners raised concerns about Brussee Brady’s alleged track record with previous city projects, citing issues with accountability and unfinished work.

The city previously withheld $40,000 in payments to the company for work on the city’s sports complex, which officials said was not completed properly. Commissioners also expressed concerns about delays, additional cost requests, and the quality of Brussee Brady’s work.

“They have a real bad habit of asking for more money, saying, ‘Oh, well, we didn’t anticipate this, so we need more money,’ and always getting change order after change order,” Third District Commissioner Chris Abel said in a follow-up interview with Watershed Voice Wednesday. “We had so many problems out there at the sports complex, and they were the contractor that did that. So people are afraid of a repeat performance.”

However, Abel noted Brussee Brady was the only contractor to submit a bid for the project, and if the contract was not awarded by the end of the year, the grant funding would be lost.

“I do have some reservations, but I’m willing to let them give it a try, especially since they’re our only option right now,” he said.

In addition to awarding the amphitheater contract, the commission set a public hearing to allocate $400,000 toward an energy efficiency program for low-income households through the Michigan Neighborhood Program.

Abel said the funding would help residents improve their homes’ energy efficiency and curb appeal, covering projects such as new vinyl siding, windows, exterior and screen doors, and roof replacements.

The commission also approved a proposal to increase annual compensation for the mayor and city councilmembers by 5% for fiscal year 2026 and 3% for fiscal year 2027. This adjustment will add $696 to the proposed FY 2026 budget and $440 to FY 2027.

Additionally, commissioners approved the purchase of an aerial platform fire truck from Pierce Ascendant for $2.2 million and appointed Holley Welton-Sangalli to the city’s Planning Commission.

Najifa Farhat is a staff reporter for Watershed Voice.