MSU selects arena construction manager

MSU’s Board of Governors approved the selection of JE Dunn at its May 18 meeting. MSU will pay JE Dunn about $3.6 million for its services, plus some reimbursable expenses.

Three other companies were in the running: the local office of Flintco Inc., Springfield’s Killian Construction and Pittsburgh, Pa.-based AMEC Construction Management.

JE Dunn will be responsible for managing construction of the arena, for which ground is scheduled to be broken in December. MSU will begin taking bids for multiple construction packages this fall, said Greg Burris, chair of the arena’s selection committee.

“We’re using a different type of construction approach because of the size and the complexity of the arena project,” he said. “You’ve got to have that expertise on the project, because it’s going to be a very crowded site, and somebody has to be there to make sure everybody knows what they’re supposed to be doing.”

Having a manager in place early in the process also prevents the university from designing a project that it can’t afford, Burris said.

The contractor selection committee comprised representatives from Springfield Contractors Association, MSU and Ellerbe Becket – which is nearing the end of its arena programming contract with the school. Burris said MSU is starting to negotiate with Ellerbe, of Minneapolis, Minn., to possibly agree on a fee for the schematic design of the arena.

JE Dunn has managed projects similar to the MSU arena, including the Mizzou Arena in Columbia and the Mid-America Center Arena in Iowa.

Construction of the 12,500-seat arena is slated for completion in October 2008.

The arena will house the school’s indoor athletics, while the 30-year-old Hammons Student Center will be used for intramural sports and student recreation. A private club for dining and entertaining will be in the arena, as well as 20 luxury seats and the MSU Hall of Fame.