A consortium consisting of HOK Sport+Venue+Event, Ellerbe Becket, 360 Architecture, and Rafael Architects has been awarded a contract to design the $250 million Sprint Center Arena in Kansas City, Mo. Selection of the Downtown Arena Design Team, whose members collectively have designed 25 of the last 28 U.S. arenas for NBA and/or NHL franchises, turned back a bid by California architect Frank Gehry to design what would have been his firm's first arena. The hometown team pulled out all the stops to get the project, including the shared efforts of rivals Ellerbe Becket and HOK. A block-long window wall capable of displaying full-color graphics and moving images may be incorporated into the arena. Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell heads a 10-firm team that will serve as the project's program manager. A general contractor is expected to be selected by late November. Sprint Center is scheduled to open in early 2007.
The Wilcox Group of Little Rock, Ark., and Lord, Aeck & Sargent of Atlanta are architects for a $23 million state of Arkansas public health laboratory in Little Rock. Nabholz Construction Corp. of Little Rock is the general contractor for the 82,000-sf building, which is scheduled for completion in late 2005.
Johnson Fain of Los Angeles is architect for Central Los Angeles Area New High School 10, a 72-classroom facility in a 19-acre redevelopment area just west of downtown. The Clark Construction Group's Costa Mesa, Calif., office is serving as general contractor for the $85 million
