Image courtesy of Virtual Builders Exchange. PC Sports currently serves as Construction Manager Agent on the $48 million dollar demolition of an existing facility and new construction of the Texas Tech University Sports Performance Center. The center will consist of a competition level indoor track including field event areas, approximately 750 spectator seats with the possibility to expand for major conference meets.
Excerpt from "Sports Facilities: Every Town Wants Their Field of Dreams" on Virtual Builders Exchange; Click here to read entire original article
by Edmond Ortiz
PC Sports, now under contract to build a $500 million arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, has been involved in many of professional sports facilities in America. These include FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, and Smoothie King Center, home of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The San Antonio-based company has carved a niche for itself by designing and managing construction of NBA caliber gyms, but PC Sports doesn’t overlook the rest of the sports facilities market.
"I wouldn't say we're focused on one area. We touch upon all types of projects," said PC Sports President Paula Portz.
One of the construction industry's biggest trends is the demand for new athletic buildings from educational institutions, ranging from grade-level schools to universities and colleges, Portz said. There has also been a rise in the demand for multi-functional venues.
Schools can better benefit from having buildings that accommodate a number of activities, from athletics to entertainment to trade shows and community gatherings.
"It's important for a facility to be multi-purpose, especially at an educational institution, where events happen all the time," Portz said. "You don't want a facility to have 'dark days'," she added, referring to a period of inactivity.
She is also seeing an increasing number of municipalities spending money to build new or renovate existing facilities to bring in concerts, trade shows and the like. Technology advances have been a major factor in the desire for renovation. More and more clients want to ensure visitors have reliable WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and WiFi access in their venues, Portz said.
"Patrons often bring in four or five devices to stay connected," she said, adding that PC Sports aims to help clients build their facilities for the long term. PC Sports is seeing a high demand for high-tech accessible venues, even at the high school level.
"Technology is something we have to accommodate. We want to make sure buildings aren't just built for today or for 10 years, but for 25 years to 50 years," Portz explained. "Sometimes, it's hard to tell what's coming next."