The Federal Way City Council unanimously voted to authorize the bid for the Performing Arts and Events Center on Tuesday evening.
Pending completion of the project’s design and bid documents, bidding for the project will open Aug. 17 and run through Sept. 9.
“I believe the facility will provide true value for our whole community with its many roles in the community and certainly with providing quality of life,” said Deputy Mayor Jeanne Burbidge. “With the presentations that happen there, with the celebrations, celebrations of all the wonderful cultures in our community both individually and then having them come together to celebrate each other as different ethnic groups but one community.”
Councilwoman Dini Duclos recalled initial discussions about the center during her first term. Initially thought to be two buildings, a performing arts center and separate events center, Duclos said it all changed after a trip to McIntyre Hall in Mt. Vernon, as that facility combines both entities.
“It’s amazing what we can do when we put our minds behind it and our efforts behind it,” Duclos said.
Coucilman Martin Moore reflected on how far the center has come.
“It’s a long time coming and as a young person sitting up here, I full realize the historic aspect of the Performing Arts and Events Center,” Moore said. “… It’s the catalyst that is really going to change Federal Way.”
Before the council voted, project manager Will Appleton presented the center’s 85 percent design with updated cost analysis from mid-May.
The 41,000-square-foot building will include a 2,400-square-foot full kitchen for the Native American Culinary Arts and Education Program; 8,000 square feet of meeting space, which includes two breakout meeting or educational rooms and a lobby; 500 seats on the ground floor with 200 seats in the balcony. There’s also an additional 9,000 square feet of meeting space on the mezzanine level above the facility’s entrance, a plaza and events area outdoors and 176 parking stalls on-site.
“We’re supporting overall arts education within the community with concert performances and any kind of special events as well,” Appleton said. “But furthermore, this facility is going to become a community focal point. It’s going to bring jobs to our community, it’s really a redevelopment catalyst for this area, for our downtown and I think it’s really going to paint Federal Way as a destination, a place to come. This is a very important investment our community is making.”
And an investment it will be.
Appleton said the project design and development will cost $5.6 million, with a good portion of that already spent. Current construction cost estimates are around $25.6 million, an increase from the November 2014 estimates but still within the budget, and construction management and inspections come out at $826,000, which was pre-negotiated. But construction contingency is only slated for $550,000 or closer to $600,000, Appleton said.
The total cost is $32,683,000 with an approved June 2014 budget of $32,750,000.
“The good news is we will remain within that target, however, we will not know exactly what the cost is to construct this facility until we receive the bids,” Appleton said. “It’s important to keep that in mind. We may very well be under, we could be over. We won’t know until we actually get the bids.”
Duclos said she would feel more comfortable with a larger contingency, as she has experience in construction projects.
Councilwoman Lydia Assefa-Dawson also asked why this project didn’t have 10 percent contingency when that’s the norm for projects the Land Use and Transportation Committee, of which she is a member, sees.
Appleton said the best approach would be to look at the bids and understand how much it will take to construct the project and then consider contingency. If there’s not enough, city staff may request additional funding from the council.
And depending on that final dollar figure, Appleton said there are features that could be implemented into the project design if they are under budget: a $150,000-$250,000 water feature at the southwest corner and/or an orchestra lift, which ranges from $250,000-$300,000.
A hot construction market could also influence final cost of the project as there are more than 30 cranes in Seattle’s greater Puget Sound area right now.
Appleton estimates the construction market to affect the cost by plus or minus 5 percent, as well as the possibility of the number of change orders.
However, he said there’s more control over the change orders, as there have been weekly meetings to ensure those are minimized.
Appleton said he’s had three direct inquiries about the project but expects five to six bidders.
After the bidding period is over, the city will seek the council’s authorization to award the bid on Sept. 15 and will issue building permits that same month. The contract will then be awarded with an anticipated ground breaking at the end of September.
Appleton said if all goes according to plan, construction on the Performing Arts and Events Center will be complete by winter 2017, with a goal of December 2016/January 2017.
Formerly known as the Performing Arts and Conference Center, the city changed the facility’s name during their quest for New Markets Tax Credits to increase their chances of receiving federal funding for the $32.7 million project, said Economic Development Director Tim Johnson.
He pointed out the name is likely to change again when the naming rights for the center are awarded.
According to Johnson, the community development entities who finance projects such as the Performing Arts and Events Center have less interest in conference and convention centers and prefer events centers.
“However, if it’s burned in your mind, just call it the center,” Johnson said.
The New Markets Tax Credits are expected to be awarded by the end of this week by the U.S. Department of Treasury. However, Johnson said it will be between 30-60 days before the city will know exactly how much money community development entities around the country will invest in the Performing Arts and Events Center.