The architectural drawing and services that will be chosen for the Royal Theatre is in the hands of the City Board — literally.
After much discussion at a recent City Board meeting, directors voted 4-1 to postpone a decision to hire French Architects, P.A., because directors wanted time to review each of the four proposals before deciding which firm to use. Mayor Chuck Hollingshead voted “no” because he felt City Manager Jimmy Bolt was hired to make such decisions himself.
Other architectural proposals were ranked in this order: French Architects of Hot Springs, RJ Heisenbottle Architects of Miami, Fla., the local Twin Rivers Architects and Wittenberg, Delony & Davidson, Inc., of Little Rock. Armed with a copy of proposals from each of the four firms, directors may override Bolt’s suggestion and choose another company to oversee the reconstruction of the Royal.
WD&D performs most of its work for municipalities and in the areas of education, healthcare, office space and correction.
The only local construction project that WD&D listed in its resume is Henderson State University’s Garrison Center, the 101-000-square-foot facility which joined the Luckadoo Student Center and the Day Armory. The project entailed a complete interior and exterior renovation of the two existing buildings. The Garrison includes a cafeteria with a full-service kitchen, student and administrative offices, the campus post office, a 320-seat lecture hall, a ballroom, conference facilities and the campus bookstore.
Elsewhere in the state, the firm supervised the construction or renovation of the Bank of Pocahontas, Arvest Bank in Bentonville, the Jacksonville Museum of Military History at the Little Rock Airforce Base, interior renovation for the Crowne Plaza Hotel and renovation of Metropolitan National Bank’s main headquarters in Little Rock.
“We know that this team of architects can create a design for the Royal Theatre that meets each of your goals and evokes the city of Arkadelphia’s desired response from all who interact with the facilities,” the firm said. “Our team is also experienced in designing theater projects that utilize even the newest of technologies and restorations of historical buildings that create a renewed public environment.”
No contractual negotiation has been made with WD&D, Bolt said. “Price is not a consideration in the selection of the firm,” he said. “It’s the qualifications. Once we choose a qualified firm, then we negotiate the price.”
French, the firm ranked first by Bolt’s staff, would charge 7 percent of construction cost.
For those who argue the city should choose a local firm, Bolt said, “I agree whenever I can buy something in Arkadelphia that is something the city needs and has comparable prices. When we can’t get what we’re looking for in Arkadelphia, then we look outside.”
All proposals are available for public viewing at Town Hall.
Arkadelphia, Ark. —
