For Immediate Release                                                              For More Information Contact:

Wednesday, February 22, 2012                                             Alison Bench/abench@frewnations.com

City of Cedar Rapids and US Cellular Corporation

Announce Naming Rights Agreement for City’s New Convention Complex

CEDAR RAPIDS ­(February 22, 2012) – FrewNations Group, LLC (www.frewnations.com) is pleased to confirm that it has negotiated a naming rights agreement with United States Cellular Corporation for the new Cedar Rapids Convention Complex, through which U.S. Cellular will pay the city $3,832,402 million over a 10-year period in exchange for exclusive marketing and promotional rights to the complex. 

“We are honored that our long-time partner U.S. Cellular Corporation has committed its support for our city and our new convention complex project,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett. “U.S. Cellular and the City of Cedar Rapids share a commitment to excellence, and we are proud to call our new convention center the ‘U.S. Cellular Center’ and our new hotel the ‘Doubletree by Hilton at the U.S. Cellular Center.’” 

“U.S. Cellular is committed to the communities we serve,” said Don Cochran, director of sales for U.S. Cellular in Iowa. “We feel it’s important to bring friends and families together, which is one of the benefits of a renovated U.S. Cellular Center. U.S. Cellular has been a proud sponsor of the U.S. Cellular Center since 2000. Our commitment to our communities is one of the reasons U.S. Cellular has the happiest customers in wireless.”

FrewNations is the City of Cedar Rapids’ project and construction manager for the convention complex project in downtown Cedar Rapids that is scheduled to open in the spring of 2013. The project involves substantial renovations to the city’s indoor arena and its recently acquired hotel, along with the construction of a 130,000-square-foot convention center.

The arena carried the U.S. Cellular name under a previously expired agreement.  Under the new agreement, which will be submitted for approval by the city council on February 28, 2012, the arena and the city’s convention center will both be marketed as the, “U.S. Cellular Center” and the city’s convention center hotel will be marketed as the “Doubletree by Hilton at the U.S. Cellular Center.”

“Our team has worked closely with Chad Settle and others at U.S. Cellular to defined a market-based agreement beneficial to both parties, and that is consistent with the agreements we negotiated with Hilton Worldwide to brand the hotel and manage the entire facility,” said FrewNations Managing Principal John Frew.

If approve by the city council, the agreement will run for an initial term of seven years with payments totaling $2,601,999.  The agreement allows U.S. Cellular to extent the term for an additional three years with payments totaling $1,203,403 for a total of $3,832,402.

A comparison of recent naming rights deals follows: 

About U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular rewards its customers with unmatched benefits and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier has a strong lineup of cutting-edge devices that are all backed by its high-speed nationwide network that has the highest call quality of any national carrier. U.S. Cellular was named a J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Customer Service Champion and received PC Magazine’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Award. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp.

About FrewNations

FrewNations is a project and construction management company founded in 2003, providing project planning, design and construction management, and land use, zoning, financing and facility operations services. 

# # #

January 27, 2012 

CEDAR RAPIDS ­(January 26, 2012) – Frew Nations Group, LLC (www.frewnations.com) announced today that Steve Bauer has joined the organization as Vice President of Construction Management.

With more than 27 years of real estate development and construction management experience, Steve will join the FNG Cedar Rapids, Iowa office and focus on construction of the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex project (www.cedarrapidsconventioncomplex.com). 

Mr. Bauer served as Vice President of Development for SAXA (formerly Shea Commercial), a development company headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Mr. Bauer joined SHEA Commercial in January 2004 after serving in a consulting capacity to the company since 1999. 

Mr. Bauer was most recently a Development Partner and Director of Operations with the Kinetic Companies, a Phoenix, Arizona real estate development and investment group focused on the Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Dallas markets. 

Mr. Bauer was the President and founder of Development Strategies, Inc., a company created in 1996 and specializing in real estate acquisition analysis, land use and project analysis, entitlement management, real estate development, and construction management. 

 “We are excited about having Steve join FrewNations.  His experience  with development and construction of municipal projects will be an asset to our team,” said FrewNations Principal Chris Nations.

About FrewNations

FrewNations is a project and construction management company founded in 2003, providing project management, design and construction management, and consulting services for real estate development projects. 

Friday, December 23, 2011

CEDAR RAPIDS CITY COUNCIL APPROVES HILTON TO MANAGE CITY OWNED HOTEL, ARENA AND NEW CONVENTION CENTER

Cedar Rapids, IA – The Cedar Rapids City Council has unanimously approved a franchise license agreement and a management agreement with Hilton Worldwide for its new convention center hotel and complex.  The agreements were negotiated by John Frew, Managing Principal of Frew Nations Group, LLC, and were approved by the city council on December 20, 2011.

The agreements mean that the city-owned hotel will be branded as a DoubleTree by Hilton and that Doubletree Management will operate the hotel, convention center and arena.

Frew Nations Group, LLC is the city’s project and construction manager for its convention center project.  The project involves renovation of the 8,000 seat U.S. Cellular Arena, renovation of the former Five Seasons Crowne Plaza hotel and construction of a new 130,000sf convention center – all under one roof. 

Council member Don Karr, told John Frew, the city’s hotel and Convention Complex construction manager, “from one businessman to another, good contract.”

Council member Chuck Wieneke told Frew that he “didn’t know what more could be done to protect the city” than the contracts approved by council.

Frew reported that the agreements with Hilton require the city to retain ownership of the hotel for five years after which the city can sell or lease the hotel. The city will review Hilton’s budget for the hotel and Convention Complex annually, will get reports from Hilton monthly and will approve Hilton’s choice for manager and Hilton’s choice for a subcontractor to run the arena if Hilton chooses to hire one, Frew said.

The arena is expected to be ready for reopening in the fall of 2012 while the convention center and hotel will open in the spring of 2013. 

Frew Nations Group, LLC (www.frewnations.com) is the project and construction manager for the City of Cedar Rapids Convention Complex and convention hotel projects. 

FNG encourages you to visit the project website on a regular basis – www.cedarrapidsconventioncomplex.com for periodic updates.  

Monday, November 21, 11

FREW NATIONS GROUP PARTNERS TO ADD FACILITY SPACE FOR BRENT’S PLACE AND THERE WITH CARE

Denver, CO – Frew Nations Group, LLC is partnering with Saunders Construction, A-Tech Mechanical, Interworks, and Tower Electric to provide renovations to the Denver Brent’s Place facility to improve it’s operations and add program space for their collaborative partner There With Care. The project includes the addition of a food pantry and associated mechanical and electrical upgrades. The renovations will allow There With Care and Brent’s Place to develop their partnership to further serve families without duplicating efforts. Renovations are set to be complete in time for the 2011 Holiday Season.

About Frew Nations:

Frew Nations Group, LLC provides turnkey project management, construction management and consulting services. We utilize our extensive experience and relationships in entertainment facility development to anticipate your needs and deliver your project on time and on budget.   From creative deal structuring to private equity financing, design and construction management, our solutions are tailored to each client’s specific goals and needs. Our core competency is the planning and execution of complex real estate projects.

Learn More About Frew Nations Group: http://www.frewnations.com/

About There With Care:

Since December of 2005, There With Care has provided support to hundreds of families being treated at 12 hospitals and medical facilities across Colorado. Through the kindness of volunteers, generosity of business owners and the philanthropy of donors, we have been able to ease many of the burdens of children and families facing critical illness.  By working with hospitals and social workers who refer families for services, we identify the main stresses on a family and work within our community to take what is heavy off their plate. 

Learn More About There With Care: http://www.therewithcare.org/

Donate to There With Care: https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=0d0857

About Brent’s Place:

Brent’s Place is a place where families are offered hope and healing when facing the most demanding time of their lives. We offer a place where kids being treated for life threatening cancer can still be kids. This place is Brent’s Place.  Conveniently located near the Anschutz Medical Campus, Brent’s Place is designed to offer families “Safe-Clean” individualized housing in an environment virtually free from dander, dust, mold and other infectious agents. Brent’s Place, a program and facility created by the Brent Eley Foundation, bridges the gap between the hospital and going home.

Learn More About Brent’s Place: http://brentsplace.org

Donate to Brent’s Place: http://www.givingfirst.org/BrentsPlace

PHASE ONE COMPLETE

Cedar Rapids, IA – The first phase of the Cedar Rapids Convention Complex project has been completed, according to Frew Nations Group, LLC Principal John Frew.   “We are very pleased with the progress made to date on this complex and exciting project,” said Frew. 

According to FNG Principal Chris Nations, “Phase Two has begun with the general, mechanical and electrical contractors mobilizing on site and with commencement of demolition activity within the arena.  Foundation work will begin and steel will begin to be erected in the coming weeks.”

Milestones achieved during Phase I include:

    Site Milestones

• Acquisition of all property and right of way, including 2 office buildings and 2 parking garages.
• Relocation of 8 tenants.
• Remediation of hazardous materials.
• Demolition of all properties, including the controlled implosion of the 10 story First Avenue Parking Ramp on June 30, 2011.  See the implosion at www.frewnations.com/dust.
• Removal of approximately 22,500 tons of debris — 90% of which was recycled.
• Removal of underground steam pipes and electrical duct banks.
• Removal and storage of a 120’ skywalk bridge (we plan to refurbish and reuse).
• Infill of 16,000 tons of material.

    Construction Milestones

• Construction of 12-story temporary stair tower to Roosevelt Hotel.
• Construction of 12-story permanent stair tower to Roosevelt Hotel (substantial completion by October 24^th).
• Selection of prime contractors for convention complex project:

              -       General Construction – Miron Construction Co., Inc.

              -       Mechanical – Modern Piping Inc.

              -       Electrical – Paulson Electric Company

• Selection of first contractor for hotel project

              -       Exterior Building Envelope (Window Wall System and Roof) – Miron Construction Co., Inc.

    Management Milestones

• Acquisition of the former Crowne Plaza Hotel.
• Selection of DoubleTree by Hilton as the hotel brand.
• Selection of Hilton Worldwide as manager for the combined facility.

Nations added, “All three contractors have already established a presence on-site and the number of workers will likely continue to increase as the project progresses.  All companies have taken steps to implement a car pooling routine for their crews to avoid negatively impacting parking for downtown Cedar Rapids residents, workforces, and visitors.”

Frew Nations Group, LLC (www.frewnations.com) is the project and construction manager for the City of Cedar Rapids Convention Complex and convention hotel projects. 

FNG encourages you to visit the project website on a regular basis – www.cedarrapidsconventioncomplex.com for periodic updates.  

And judging from the details that have emerged so far, it sounds like a soundly constructed, long-term deal that will put an experienced management team in command of the new facility.

Under terms of proposed agreements reviewed by the City Council this past week, the hotel would operate under the Doubletree by Hilton brand name for 15 years. Hilton also would manage and market the hotel and convention complex for 10 years, with an option for a five-year extension.

The city, under the agreements, cannot sell the hotel during the first five years. But during the duration of its management contract, Hilton agrees to waive a $500,000 annual franchise fee. That saves the city at least $5 million.

The Hilton/City revenue-sharing structure appears to address the city’s desire for a stream of dollars to pay back bonds issued to renovate the hotel. And it provides incentives for Hilton to both grow revenues and keep expenses in check.

As a publicly owned facility, the City Council will oversee its operation. The facility’s annual budget and any expenditure of more than $25,000 are among decisions that require council approval.

Hiring one, experienced company to manage both the hotel and convention complex is a smart business decision.

An analysis by HVS Global Hospitality Services found that the venture’s future potential for profitability would decline significantly if separate companies managed the facilities. With separate managers, HVS found that the convention complex would operate at a roughly $1 million loss. With the efficiencies of joint management under one company, the hotel and complex turn a projected profit in excess of $2 million.

That’s critical, considering that the stiff regional competition for conventions, meetings and events, coupled with a still sluggish economy, makes the convention complex project a significant gamble. A streamlined management operation that squeezes the most from every dime is crucial to its success.

Hilton clearly understands how to manage hotels and meeting facilities, and will bring its expertise to bear on marketing the complex and hotel to potential guests and event organizers. The global company manages 3,750 hotels in 84 countries and 5.8 million square feet of meetings in 665 managed properties. “They didn’t get in to fail,” said John Frew, whose Frew Nations Group is overseeing construction of the convention complex and renovation of the hotel.

The convention complex’s success is far from assured, but this deal is a huge step in the right direction.

The Gazette Editorial Board
thegazette.com

Tempe, AZ (Wednesday, September 28, 2011) - Frew Nations Group, LLC www.frewnations.com

Frew Nations Group, as a consultant under Collegiate Consulting conducted an assessment of the sport facilities on the ASU campus. The scope included a review of facilities and identification of improvements as applicable for a competitive Division II program and for a Division I program. The facility review includes three categories of Fan Amenities, Team Amenities, and General Facility items.

 Frew Nations Group reviewed the following facilities:

 Kidd- Brewer Stadium

Frew Nations Group Scope of Services
FNG’s extensive background with sports design firms, construction management firms and industry products provide you with the knowledge, experience and insight necessary to have a successful project. From project planning, programming and concept design through construction phase and venue operations, the FNG team has developed a track record of success and satisfaction. 

FNG offers a broad range of solutions, including: Owners’s Representative, Development and Consulting.

About Frew Nations Group
Frew Nations Group is a real estate development company founded in 2003. With experience as minor league professional sports team owners, facility operators and building developers, Frew Nations executives have developed an expertise in crafting public‐private partnerships. Frew Nations services include deal structuring, project planning, design and construction management, legal and regulatory representation, public relations, complex land use, zoning, financing and facility operations.