The Colorado firm hired by the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority to help plan the new James Brown Arena presented a final report at the authority’s Oct. 26 meeting.
PCL Construction Services, Inc. had been hired to guide the project through the pre-construction phase. That contract ends this month.
The next step will be for the authority to look for a construction manager at-risk to begin the construction phase. Project Manager HB Brantley of Atlanta-based SPACE said he expects to post the Request for Quotation (RFQ) or a Request for Proposal (RFP) the first week in November.
MORE: Construction of New James Brown Arena Remains on Schedule
A construction manager at-risk manages all subcontractors on the project and agrees to a guaranteed maximum price. The updated cost of the project now stands at $235 million, down from the original anticipated cost of $240 million.
Dale Koger, Vice President and General Manager of PCL’s Sports Division, said his company plans to submit a proposal to be selected for the construction phase.
“I personally have been involved in a little more than 20 arenas,” he said. “Those range from NBA to NFL, community arenas such as this and to college arenas literally all over the U.S.”
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He said his company is prepared to commit to the GMP based on previous experience.
“We’ve collected a lot of as-built cost data on other comparable arenas,” he explained. “We catalog that and then we can take an arena that was built in California ten years ago, escalate it and do a location factor because the cost of construction in Augusta is different than it is in Los Angeles or Dallas or someplace like that.”
One question that remains is whether Richmond County residents will support the bond referendum of up to $240 million to pay for the new arena. If approved, it will result in a 2.7887 millage rate tax increase on property owners. For a $100,000 home, that translates to a tax increase of about $97.60 a year.
MORE: Final Design Plans for a New James Brown Arena Revealed
Advance voting is currently underway from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building and the Henry Brigham, Warren Road and Robert Howard recreation centers. The date for voting in the special election is Nov. 2.
The status along with renderings of the new arena are available here.
Coliseum Authority Vice Chairman Brad Usry said he feels good about the project, and it will be a game changer for Augusta.
He said, “We’re ready to rock and roll. Once we get the “yes” vote, we’re going to start working the next day.”
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
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