From our friends at Events DC...
Events DC Announces Washington, DC-Based Construction Management Joint Venture of Smoot/Gilbane for the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) Project
World-renowned partners team up to construct new state-of-the-art arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, announced today the selection of a Washington, DC-based construction management joint venture, Smoot Construction Company and Gilbane Building Company, to construct the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, announced today the selection of a Washington, DC-based construction management joint venture, Smoot Construction Company and Gilbane Building Company, to construct the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC.
“We’re excited to bring the locally-based construction management joint venture of Smoot/Gilbane onboard as part of the team for the Entertainment and Sports Arena project. We remain committed to utilizing the best and brightest while supporting our homegrown businesses,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC. “We continue to stand behind our commitment to honoring opportunities for local businesses and District residents and building a state-of-the-art facility that will bring so many economic and civic benefits to our DC community.”
For its Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) goals for the ESA project, Events DC remains dedicated to its pledge of 50-percent CBE participation for all major contracts inclusive of program management, architectural and engineering and construction management services. Additionally, at least 35-percent of the work is to be performed by Small Business Enterprises (SBEs.) The development of the ESA is expected to create hundreds of jobs during construction, including many apprenticeship opportunities for District residents. In the coming months, Events DC and Smoot/Gilbane will collaborate and announce a series of workshops and job fairs to maximize opportunities for businesses and residents during the ESA project.
“We are honored to be selected by Events DC, and we are excited to partner with Gilbane Building Company to construct DC’s exciting new Entertainment and Sports Arena,” said Mark S. Cain, President and CEO of Smoot Construction Company of Washington, DC. Cain said, “We look forward to bringing our experience and building a fan-favorite sports and entertainment facility to Ward 8.”
As the joint venture providing construction management at-risk services, Smoot/Gilbane will partner with Events DC to provide cost, schedule and constructibility input during the design process; build and deliver the new ESA for its fall 2018 opening; and grow and develop local DC contractor capacity by maximizing opportunities for local Ward 7 and 8 trade contractors and suppliers.
“The new Entertainment and Sports Arena project gives our team the chance to bring our best practices in NBA facility construction and our experience building on the St. Elizabeths Campus to benefit both the District and the Congress Heights community,” said Gilbane Senior Vice President Drew Mucci. “We are so excited to be part of the transformation of St. Elizabeths East - it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
Smoot/Gilbane’s partnership spans over 50 years, a relationship that began in the 1960s through mentorship and has developed into a strong peer partnership. From the on-time, on-budget delivery of University of Maryland’s 17,950-seat Comcast Arena to the award-winning Dunbar and Roosevelt High School projects, the Smoot|Gilbane Joint Venture brings the experience and collaborative spirit that has been successful in both delivering tough DC jobs and exceeding local business and workforce goals.
Their commitment to building long-term and lasting partnerships also extends to the local DC contractor community. Smoot|Gilbane has engaged two Ward 8 protégés - Hardlight Construction and Saxon Collaborative - to participate in the management team and trade work on the ESA project. Smoot/Gilbane is committed to supporting these emerging Ward 8 firms - and furthering Events DC’s goal of growing local capacity through this project.
Announced in the fall of 2015, the ESA will become the future practice facility for the Washington Wizards, home court of the Washington Mystics and a premier entertainment venue in the District. The arena is also expected to generate significant expansion of arts, cultural, entertainment and civic programming, including hosting many non-professional-basketball-related events each year.
Events DC along with its project teams, Brailsford & Dunlavey as the program management team, the architect/engineer joint venture of Washington Arena Design Group, comprised of Rossetti and Marshall Moya Design and the addition of Smoot/Gilbane as the construction management team, will be responsible for the planning, design and construction of the new facility. Upon completion, Events DC will be responsible for the operation of the arena. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2017 with completion in the fall of 2018.
ABOUT EVENTS DC:
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, deliver premier event services and flexible venues across the nation’s capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District’s hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and Maloof Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. The most recent addition is Gateway DC, an innovative and versatile space featuring a covered and open-air pavilion in the center of a 1-acre park, conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com or www.ESAontheRise.com and find us on social media - Facebook (Events DC), Twitter (@ConventionsDC and @DCSportsEnt) and Instagram (@EventsDC.)
ABOUT SMOOT:
In the construction business, no one serves the District of Columbia with more experience and project leadership than Smoot Construction. For more than four decades, Smoot Construction has been providing construction services in the District of Columbia and surrounding National Capitol Region that includes over 90 specific projects totaling more than $2.9 billion. Smoot Construction is a family-owned company in business for 70 years and it takes great pride in turning clients’ dreams into reality by focusing on the client’s specific needs and consistently exceeding their expectations. For more information: http://smootconstructiondc.com.
ABOUT GILBANE:
Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 50 office locations around the world providing construction services. A Top 5 Builder in the DC metro area, according to the Washington Business Journal, Gilbane continues to increase our presence throughout DC and Northern Virginia. By working with notable clients such as the DC Department of General Services, DC Public Library, Tishman Speyer, Capital One, Children’s National Medical Center and others; Gilbane has built a portfolio of diverse and complex facilities. Gilbane continues to hire the best talent, invest in the local community and push the boundaries of the industry as we have consistently done in the area for more than 40 years. For more information: www.gilbaneco.com.
