Community Center discussions Continue PDF Print E-mail
Community center discussions continue By ALEX AYRES Staff Writer April 28, 2010Camden News    Representatives of the firm Polk, Stanley, Wilcox Architects held a presentation for the Multi-Purpose Center Committee, discussing necessities in making an appealing feasibility study to promote the construction of the center in Camden.
   Candi Adams of Camden, a former employee of the Polk, Stanley, Wilcox Architects, who had been attending some of the center committee meetings, put Wesley Walls, principal at Polk, Stanley, Wilcox Architects, and Steve Kinzler, president/COO and principal at Polk, Stanley, Wilcox Architects, in touch with Norm MacNeill, executive director of Ouachita Partnership of Economic Development, and Mayor Chris Claybaker.
   Walls said during a committee meeting Tuesday that they had been invited to talk about their credentials and what the process may be for a "conceptual design study".
   Wesley displayed in a power point presentation examples of other facilities, the

firm had completed. Examples included the convention center in El Dorado and Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. 


   Walls said that the focus when building multi-purpose facility is how will it benefit Camden and the county. Walls said that a community facility is about presentation and the message that a city wants to convey to people visiting the community.
   He said that when looking at location, opposed to companies like Walmart that depend on "drive by" traffic, facilities like a multipurpose facility, "can become very important gravitational projects in a community". He said that the process should begin with two feasibility studies, a conceptual building design and a study in the location.
   Walls said that the first thing that would be done is to begin with a building in mind and then determine what site would be appropriate. He said that flexibility is key to allow room for growth to match demand. Walls said that another key is to avoid building too much.  He said that when building the center it has to be relevant.
   When discussing funding, he said that the city can come up with funding for the building, however, "over the lifespan of a building it costs a whole lot more to run it, than it will to build it".
   Walls said developing a probable costs analysis comes before looking into funding sources. Cost analysis is not just the cost of the building, but what is the cost for site acquisition, fees for engineers and architect designers, fees with the city, furnishings, and equipment. Walls said that everything mentioned amounts to project costs and "not just construction costs. This is the total cost of bringing the building up to its operational point."  Walls said the cost for his firm to do a conceptual feasibility study would be $15,000. He said a site assessment feasibility study would cost up to $9,000.
   Claybaker said that he would like to have a conceptual idea of what the committee would have by the first of the year. He said that this would give the Multi-Purpose Center Committee the opportunity to start looking seriously into how the city is going to fund a facility and "selling" it should there be a sales tax or bond issue.
   Claybaker said that he wants the City of Camden to be able to know exactly what the committee is talking about and give time enough to bring it to the community. He said that once a funding source is identifi ed and approved, "We certainly need to make sure that we get it built". Claybaker said that his goal is to have a completed facility by 2013.