Peachtree City's

old amphitheater offices will be renovated in the near future so amphitheater

staff can move back in and have much-needed space.

Currently,

the amphitheater staff shares two offices in the building housing recreation

department offices near the amphitheater. But more space is needed, amphitheater

Director Kristi Rapson told the Peachtree City Development Authority Monday

night.

The amphitheater's

former offices, located at the front of the amphitheater complex, are

seen as the solution to the space problems. The renovations, estimated

at $200,000, will be funded by the city's hotel-motel tax, which was increased

earlier this year by the City Council from 3 percent to 5 percent.

The old amphitheater

office space is currently used by the Southern Conservation Trust, but

when renovations begin the building will have to be unoccupied for a while.

The Development Authority, which operates the amphitheater, is negotiating

with Southern Conservation Trust to make some arrangements in this regard.

Plans are for

SCT to have a separate entrance to the building after the renovations

are complete, Rapson noted.

The designs

for the renovations are still underway, but the building will feature

a ticket office in the front, Rapson said.

"We want

the public to be able to walk up, get their tickets and go down to the

amphitheater, Rapson said.

Rapson said

she hopes to end up with a total of four offices for amphitheater staff.

Much of the

renovations will focus on utilities such as electricity and plumbing,

Rapson noted.

Rapson also

discussed the amphitheater's 2002 budget and noted plans to increase season

ticket prices to $125 from the current price of $100. She said the increase

is needed to make sure the amphitheater can keep drawing quality acts.

"I don't

know where you can go to a concert for $25 a night," of the quality

the amphitheater presents, Rapson said.

Rapson also

noted that catering costs and production expenses have risen. The ticket

increases are projected to raise an additional $65,000.

Amphitheater

staff are also studying the purchase of a new computerized ticketing system

which could make tickets available for purchase on the Internet, Rapson

noted. Such a system would cost approximately $10,000, but the current

ticketing system can't be upgraded, Rapson said.

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