Orlando, Fla., November 19, 2008 – The Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center’s procurement committee has ranked Balfour Beatty Construction first of the three firms shortlisted to serve as the project’s construction manager at risk.
On December 8, Orlando City Council will vote to approve the recommended selection of the first ranked firm. Once approved, the performing arts center project team will begin contract negotiations. In January the firm’s contract will go before City Council for final approval.
“The committee was thoroughly impressed by the Balfour Beatty Construction team. The company has a strong track record of finishing projects on time and on budget, and throughout the process proved that they understand and are passionate about this project,” said Jim Pugh, chairman of the performing arts center and of the project’s procurement committee. The committee ranked Austin Hardin second and PCL Construction the third firm.
The procurement committee is a publicly appointed committee established to oversee the open public procurement process required for the selection of the production architect, construction manager at risk for the performing arts center project. Joining Pugh on the committee are Tim Ackert, Project Director for the Orlando Venues Project Office; Roger Chapin, Vice President of Public Affairs for the Mears Transportation Group; Janeiro Coulter, Special Projects Manager for the Orlando Venues Project Office; and Royce Walden, a retired educator and investment banker with a strong history of service to the Orlando community.
Balfour Beatty Construction’s portfolio includes performing arts centers in the state of Florida such as the News-Journal Center in Daytona Beach, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, and Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be selected to work with such a talented group of professionals to build this landmark venue for our community. This is a true highlight for our company to be ranked first. The only better moment will be when the performing arts center opens its doors in 2012,” said Rob Baker, senior vice president of Balfour Beatty Construction.
ABOUT BALFOUR BEATTY CONSTRUCTION
Balfour Beatty Construction (formerly Centex Construction), a leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry for 75 years, provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, design-build, preconstruction and turnkey services nationwide. The company employs 1,600+ professionals and is a top 10 U.S. builder with regional headquarters in four of the largest and fastest growing building markets across the country: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, (with full-service regional offices in Orlando since 1963, Tampa, Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach), Charlotte, North Carolina, Dallas, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Balfour Beatty Construction is a division of Balfour Beatty, plc, a global leader in the commercial construction industry, publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.
ABOUT THE DR. P. PHILLIPS ORLANDO PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
The Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center is an independent non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation dedicated to developing, building and operating the new performing arts center in downtown Orlando. DPAC plans to develop a mixed-use urban arts center with three main halls, educational facilities, a public theater plaza, and retail and commercial expansion with development partner, Hines. DPAC will be Central Florida’s destination of choice for arts, cultural and entertainment programming. It will serve our diverse community by educating and nurturing artists, arts organizations, audiences and students throughout the region and the state of Florida.