NASHUA — A city official has a vision that could improve the existing bandshell at Greeley Park, a public stage that is heavily used by local groups for seasonal performances.

“I think it is atrocious,” Alderman-at-Large Barbara Pressly said of the Greeley Park bandshell. “I would love to see it turned into a magnificent work of art that could be showcased, especially at night.”

Pressly has drafted a resolution that — if approved by the board of aldermen — would create an international design competition to generate unique ideas for improving the Greeley Park bandshell.

She hopes that professional, student and amateur designers from around the world may be interested in submitting their ideas to refurbish the bandshell, which she described as a basic, skeleton structure with a concrete stage.

The bandshell was built in 1988 following a previous design competition; however, the winning design was not fully implemented because of a lack of money, according to a previous request for proposals for bandshell and acoustical upgrades.

Pressly admits the design could be a challenge because of the permanent cement block used as the stage platform, but she is optimistic that talented designers will be able to work around it.

“Greeley Park is such a good location, and from what I understand, the bandshell is booked solid,” she said, adding that a fresh and modern public stage will enhance the many performances now attracting attention at the 125-acre park on Concord Street.

Pressly praised the former Nashua International Design Competition, a municipal-sponsored contest established for the Millyard and Broad Street Parkway project that garnered 21 design entries earlier this year.

She hopes that organizers of that design effort will become involved with her proposed bandshell design competition, which she believes could be just as successful.

“That was some of the best design work this city has seen in a long time,” she said, welcoming members of the former competition jury to reconvene and pursue this next venture.

khoughton@newstote.com