AVONDALE, Ariz., June 22, 2009 — SmithGroup, one of the nation’s leading architecture, engineering, interiors and planning firms, has been selected by the City of Avondale to provide architectural and engineering services for the new American Sports Center – Avondale. The 83,000-square-foot building to be located at Avondale Boulevard and Van Buren Street has a design and construction budget of $10 million.
The sports center will include volleyball and basketball courts, indoor soccer, multipurpose rooms, food service, flex-program space, and office and meeting space, serving both residents and visitors to the region. America Sports Center – Avondale, LLC will maintain and operate the facility.
“This is a groundbreaking partnership between the City of Avondale and American Sports Centers to build a facility that will not only meet the high demand for sports and tournament venues but will also boost economic development and tourism opportunities in the region,” said Dan Davis, Avondale’s Parks, Recreation & Libraries director. “The facility will attract visitors and tourists to the area, and spur new investment in our Avondale City Center area.”
An additional 30,000 square feet of retail is envisioned on several sides of the main building to provide the public additional services related to the sports center and to help screen the mass of the gymnasium.
The City of Avondale is utilizing the construction manager at risk procurement method.
SmithGroup, Inc. (www.smithgroup.com) ranks as the nation’s 9th largest architecture and engineering firm (Building Design & Construction, July 2008) and employs 800. The firm is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the healthcare, learning, workplace and science & technology markets. SmithGroup has offices Ann Arbor, Mich.; Chicago, Ill.; Detroit, Mich.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Madison, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Phoenix, Ariz.; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. Established in 1853, SmithGroup is the longest continually operating architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.
CONTACT: Sommer Caraway
EMAIL: sommer.caraway@smithgroup.com
PHONE: 602.824.5251