The City of Lincoln’s Urban Development Department last week received proposals from teams nationwide to develop a new arena, hotel and convention center in the downtown Haymarket Area. One of those teams has created a recipe that includes the very best in urban redevelopment talent while maintaining a decidedly hometown flavor.
Lincoln-based developers Robert and William Scott of WRK LLC, aligned with national industry leaders that know how to execute complex urban projects. “We wanted national firms that have successfully worked with one another,” he said.
William Scott, who calls his team Lincoln Traction Partners, outlined three key differentiators for his team:
- Local Face – “No team can better address the economic, physical and social intricacies of Lincoln and the Haymarket than we can.”
- Catalyst With Owner/Equity – “A comprehensive catalyst to a Haymarket renewal through an integrated mix of lodging/hospitality, residential, retail and sports-based entertainment. We’re also providing a true equity partner who will own/invest with WRK in each commercial project we build.”
- Best-in-Class Expertise – “Our arena design and hotel development track record makes us confident that this unique vision for Lincoln will succeed by every measure.” The Scotts have reached out to Steven Goldsmith/Capital Source as its public financing advisor, plus renowned sports designer Ellerbe Becket and arena project expert International Facilities Group (IFG).
WRK is partnered with Woodbury on Lincoln’s Arts & Humanities Center, a block of future art galleries, performance spaces, specialty shops and condominium housing located in the Haymarket District.
Can Lincoln Be The Next Indianapolis?
Between 1990 and 2000, the City of Indianapolis invested over $3 billion of public and private funds in downtown projects, including the development of the $175 million Conseco Fieldhouse, widely regarded as the best of the new generation of NBA facilities. Importantly, completion of the Conseco Fieldhouse enabled the demolition of Market Square Arenas, which led the way for the redevelopment of several large-scale mixed-use projects, including new hotels and convention facilities.
As mayor of Indianapolis, Stephen Goldsmith’s innovative use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) generated more than $400 million in savings to the city dollars he later reinvested in the transformation of the city’s downtown and urban neighborhoods. Goldsmith played a leading role in the Conseco Fieldhouse, as did Ellerbe Becket and IFG.
Conseco is one of more than 50 arenas that Ellerbe Becket has designed. The firm’s sports facilities deliver return on investment and minimize operating costs. Ellerbe Becket is acclaimed for high-performance arena design. Not only does the firm create “economic engines” in the form of multipurpose arenas, clients consistently report that Ellerbe Becket buildings are the easiest to build, own and operate. Nebraska native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) architecture grad James Poulson is one of the most decorated arena designers in the industry today. He is the creative force behind Conseco and he heads an all-star (and All-Nebraska) design team for the Lincoln arena project. Every member of the Ellerbe Becket design team received an architecture degree form UNL and has lived and worked in Lincoln.
“We sought out Ellerbe because they also did the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia, which is one of the venues that Lincoln city officials toured,” said Will Scott. “Ellerbe has a proven track record in multi-purpose arenas for sports and entertainment and they are also the industry leader in designing athletic training and practice facilities.”
There’s another local architectural connection. Lincoln’s Sinclair Hille Architects, a respected local firm and frequent collaborator with Ellerbe Becket, is a key team member. Sinclair Hille and Ellerbe Becket currently are partnering on an athletic performance center at Concordia University in Seward, Neb., and a new student housing complex at Park University in Parkville, Mo.
IFG, which has led or assisted in the development of over 30 major sports projects, including 13 arenas, served as a design development and construction consultant to the City of Indianapolis Building Authority for the Conseco project. Phil Couture led IFG’s services that included design monitoring and review, construction and design team contract negotiation and construction budget preparation and construction monitoring. Steve Edelson, IFG’s development and financing specialist, worked side-by-side with (then) Mayor Goldsmith and his staff to assist with the project finance structuring and lease negotiations.
“We share great respect and love for the City of Lincoln and the University,” said WRK’s Will Scott. “We’re committed to being the best possible partner with this project and by teaming with such respected firms, the City of Lincoln receives a dynamic and efficient blend of project creativity, proficiency and public sector accountability. Now the work begins…”
About WRK’s Project Team
CapitalSource
Stephen Goldsmith serves as the project’s Financial Advisor. He is the founder and director of the Infrastructure & Development Group at Capital Source. He is the aforementioned former two-term mayor of Indianapolis and a widely-recognized expert on government management, reform and innovation and the structuring of public-private partnerships. CapitalSource (NSY: CSE) is a leading commercial lending, investment and asset management business focused on the middle market. CapitalSource manages an asset portfolio which as of Sept. 30, 2007, was approximately $20.7 billion. Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, CapitalSource has an office in Lincoln thru affiliate TierOne Bank and approximately 560 employees in offices across the U.S. and in Europe.
Ellerbe Becket
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry, with office locations worldwide. The firm’s resume includes some the world’s most notable venues – Centennial Olympic Stadium for the Atlanta Olympics, Madison Square Garden and Lambeau Field. Recent projects include the new Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, the John Paul Jones Arena at the University of Virginia and the new arena for the University of Oregon. Approximately 90 million fans a year attend events in Ellerbe Becket sports and entertainment facilities.
IFG
IFG works with public sector and professional sports and business owners to help them successfully develop major projects, providing assistance in program planning, financing, building and commissioning new sports facilities. IFG and its personnel have completed more than $3 billion of sports-related developments, often working for the “owner at risk.” The company supplies its clients prompt, informed recommendations and strong project management to address often-competing priorities between facility design, tenant expectations, operational considerations and budget realities. Some of IFG’s projects include Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the United Center and US Cellular Field in Chicago, AT&T Center in San Antonio, Toyota Center in Houston, American Airlines Center in Miami, Save Mart Center at Cal State University-Fresno, and Glendale, Arizona’s Jobing.com Arena and the new Arizona Cardinals Stadium, host of the most recent Superbowl.
Woodbury Corporation
Established in 1919, Salt Lake City-based Woodbury Corporation is one of the Intermountain West’s leading commercial real estate developers. Working closely with community leaders, land owners, investors, buyers and tenants, Woodbury Corporation has designed, developed and currently managers numerous productive retail, hotel, office and industrial projects.
Contact:
WRK LLC, Robert and Will Scott, 402-477-6767
CapitalSource Finance LLC, Stephen Goldsmith and Kirsten Studlien, 301-634-6917
Ellerbe Becket, news@ellerbebecket.com IFG, Michael Reinsdorf and Joe Briglia, 312-376-3886
Woodbury Corporation, Jeffrey Woodbury and Zach Wiegert, 713-907-6238
