What's the future of Petrillo?

Justin stands center stage at the Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios

Summer festivals and downtown celebrations have kicked off, but the onetime epicenter of arts and culture lies dormant.

The big picture: The Petrillo Bandshell is no longer the premier downtown location for concerts, as event organizers have moved to the state-of-the-art Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park or to temporary stages for huge Grant Park festivals like Lollapalooza and Taste of Chicago.

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State of play: The old band shell sits virtually unused, and the pavilion chairs have been removed, leaving a large slab of concrete in the middle of Grant Park.

Flashback: Over the past 50 years, the outdoor amphitheater off Columbus Street has hosted the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Taste of Chicago concerts, sports championship celebrations and more.

• It goes back even further in Chicago history if you count its original location closer to Roosevelt Road.
• In 1975, Mayor Richard J. Daley named the original band shell after former Parks superintendent James C. Petrillo , who had programmed Grant Park music concerts. It moved to its current location in 1978.

The concrete pavilion in Grant Park. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios

Driving the news: This year, Taste of Chicago confirmed it won't be using the band shell in September again. Taste performances will happen on a temporary stage near Buckingham Fountain.

• The future of the venue is undecided.

What they're saying: "The Park District is evaluating it as part of the Grant Park Framework Plan, which includes gathering input from community stakeholders," a Chicago Park District spokesperson tells Axios.

• "The Petrillo Bandshell is currently available for permitted use."

Reality check: Hardly anybody is renting it out.

Yes, but: The Park District says Lollapalooza has filed for a permit for the band shell and will use it as a side stage, much to the chagrin of some audience members who don't like the acoustics and sight lines.

Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios

The bottom line: Petrillo's days might be numbered, but it will always hold a special place in many Chicagoans' hearts for the memories made there.