On July 27, 2010, the Cedar Rapids City Council hired an architectural and engineering design team to begin designing the new Cedar Rapids Events and Convention Center project. Lead by OPN Architects of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the team includes Ellerbe Becket of Kansas City, MO and tvsdesign of Atlanta,GA. The team is tasked with completing the schematic design for the center by October 2010.
“We are making significant progress on the events center project,” said Mayor Ron Corbett. “We want this center to serve the needs of the residents of Cedar Rapids, just as much as the organizations and groups that will be using the center. That’s why we will be holding some public meetings in a few weeks to gather input and ideas from residents.”
The events center is one of three buildings that OPN Architects is working on for the City of Cedar Rapids. The local firm is also under contract for the architectural and engineering design for the public library and the reconstruction of the Paramount Theatre. OPN Architects participated in a competitive selection process for each contract.
“We are thrilled that the City Council has chosen our firm for these projects,” said Dan Thies, principal of OPN Architects. “Their confidence in our work, our expertise and our sub-consultants is greatly appreciated. We understand the design of these buildings must complement the development that surrounds them, as they will serve as cornerstones of the recovery and future development of our community.” OPN Architects has received several state and regional design awards for adaptive reuse and renovation projects. Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM Company, is a world leader in multipurpose arena design. The firm has a portfolio which includes 51 multi-purpose arenas, 17 of which are NBA and/or NHL facilities. tvsdesign has designed more conference and event centers than any other firm in the world and holds three of the four national American Institute of Architects
awards presented for event center design.
The City will release more information about public meetings to gather feedback on the new events center in the coming weeks.
