The “Downtown Arena Design Team” is a consortium of the most experienced and recognized sports architects on earth, who all happen to hail from Kansas City. Ellerbe Becket is joined by CDFM2, Heinlein Schrock Stearns and HOK Sport + Venue + Event.
Together the firms have designed 25 of the last 28 NBA/NHL arenas built in the past 15 years. Nearly three-quarters of the nation’s new sporting facilities have been designed by Kansas City sports architecture firms. This wealth of experience has led the world to view Kansas City as the epicenter of sports architecture.
Nearly half the money for the 18,000 to 20,000-seat arena will come from Anschutz Entertainment Group, Sprint Corp. and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, which plans to office in the new building. The remainder of the funding would come from the public sector, through tax credits, hotel and car rental license fees and user fees.
Ellerbe Becket Managing Principal Dave Orlowski said the Dream Team consortium’s stock in trade is building publicly owned venues that are partly or totally built with tax dollars. “Our clients generally don’t have the multi-million-dollar endowments that many art museums, universities and other private entities enjoy, and which provide cushions for construction delays and cost overruns, ” he said. “We know how to deliver a project on time and on budget. ”
The Mayor is pushing for an arena opening in 2007. “It’s a tight schedule, but very doable, ” said Orlowski. “Every one of the NBA/NHL arenas done by our team has opened on time and on budget. We’re extremely proud of that record. ”
In addition to the NBA/NHL experience, the four firms have designed 17 of the last 21 Major League ballparks and 16 of the last 21 NFL stadiums.
Sports architecture is a major industry in Kansas City, injecting more than $100 million annually into the local economy and employing more than 650 people.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
