Scoop: Des Moines' Simon Estes Amphitheater closed until 2024

The Simon Estes Amphitheater won't reopen for another three years despite crews this month completing a $727K flood repair project at the venue, Des Moines Parks director Ben Page told Axios Tuesday.

• Construction projects adjacent to the site make it too loud and dusty, Page said.

Why it matters: Popular downtown events like Nitefall on the River are being delayed largely because the amphitheater is out of commission. It's a total bummer.

Details: The 1,200-capacity outdoor venue closed in the spring of 2019 for what was believed to be only a two-summer hiatus due to the Locust Street Bridge replacement project.

• Then a round of floods, also in 2019, caused extensive damage.
• Now a reconstruction of the adjacent Walnut Street Bridge in addition to other flood mitigation work has further delayed the 25-year-old amphitheater's comeback.

😎 The bright side: There's now a younger, beefier amphitheater in town.

• Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park opened in 2019 and holds up to 25K people.
• The next performance: Blues Traveler & JJ Grey and Mofro on July 9.