Anaheim Hires Contractor for Sports Arena

Anaheim city officials took a giant step toward construction of a major arena Tuesday when the City Council hired a contractor to build the 19,200-seat indoor sports and entertainment complex.

In a 4-1 vote, the council accepted the $60.55-million bid submitted by Phoenix-based HuntCor Inc., one of seven contractors that vied for the project. Councilman Irv Pickler, who has consistently opposed the arena, cast the dissenting vote.

HuntCor’s bid was more than $500,000 lower that its nearest competitor, PCL Construction Services Inc. City Engineer Gary Johnson said the City Council technically was required to accept the lowest bid, but could have rejected it if council members felt the bidder was unqualified. However, city officials praised HuntCor as a highly reputable firm with a fine track record.

“We believe when this arena is built two years from now, it will be the arena in the country, bar none,” Mayor Fred Hunter said.

HuntCor is described as one of the nation’s pre-eminent builders of sports arenas and stadiums. Its past projects include the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.

The firm is building new indoor sports arenas similar to the one planned for Anaheim in Phoenix, San Jose and Memphis. In addition to sports facilities, HuntCor has also built major hotels, such as the $82-million San Diego Hyatt and the $125-million Inter-Continental Hotel in San Diego, and civic and convention centers in Birmingham, Ala., and Palm Springs.

“They’re one of the top construction firms in the country,” said Douglas G. Logan, senior vice president of Ogden Services Corp., which will lease the city-owned arena. “We’re extremely pleased. They will make this arena an excellent building, the way we want it.”

Officials of HuntCor were not available for comment Tuesday.

The Anaheim Arena was originally scheduled to open in the fall of 1992, in time for the start of the National Basketball Assn. season, but city officials are now shooting for ribbon-cutting for the $100-million complex in late summer of 1993. The contract calls for HuntCor to complete the project in “515 working days from June 3, 1991.”

Anaheim officials have long challenged the claim that the city is in a race with Santa Ana to build the county’s first arena, and officials said Tuesday that the construction contract was further proof that Anaheim and Santa Ana are on different tracks.

The proposed Santa Ana Arena has been delayed by a slow economy and is not expected to open until the 1994-95 sports season, two years behind schedule. Santa Ana officials have warned that the project could be scrapped if a professional hockey or basketball team is found for the Anaheim Arena.

Still, officials of the private group planning to build and own the Santa Ana facility remained confident Tuesday that their project will go ahead despite Anaheim’s continuing progress toward completing their facility.

“We’re are not going to get caught up in some type of race to build a building,” said Tony Guanci of Orange County Arena Partners. “The building does not drive this project. This project is driven by whoever gets a professional franchise.”

Guanci said efforts in Santa Ana are focused on lining up businesses and individuals willing to put up money to buy luxury suites and season tickets. Such support is necessary, he said, to lure a professional basketball or hockey team.

There is still no professional sports team signed to play in the Anaheim arena. However, city officials say they are confident that entertainers will flock to the new concert hall, and that both a professional hockey and basketball team will be in place by opening day.

After Tuesday’s council meeting, Hunter said he had been told of “seven or eight” teams interested in moving to Anaheim, but declined to elaborate on the teams and would not say whether they were NBA or NHL franchises, or both.

If built, the Santa Ana Arena will be privately owned and operated, while the Anaheim Arena will be owned by the city and operated by Ogden Corp.

Guanci criticized Anaheim’s plan as “taking city money and throwing it in the wind.”

“ ‘Build a building and they will come’ worked for Kevin Costner in ‘Field of Dreams,’ but it’s not going to work in Orange County,” Guanci said.

Santa Ana, he said, is in a better position to accommodate an NBA or NHL team because backers have already expressed interest in aggressively soliciting professional teams.

“People have to come forward and say they are willing to support it (a Santa Ana team),” he said. “We’re looking for actual pocketbook support to bring a team into Orange County.”

But Guanci added that the Santa Ana project’s backers will not “risk $9 (million) or $10 million a year without the knowledge that a team will come. And we’re not forcing a team to move into something that’s already predetermined.”

“We’re not asking someone to buy a suite and watch the circus for four years,” Guanci said, adding that money placed in interest-earning trust accounts will be refunded if no professional sports team is found to play in Santa Ana.

In January, Anaheim issued $103 million in bonds to cover construction, architect and legal fees and related expenses. Anaheim officials insist that there are adequate guarantees built into the agreement with Ogden to protect the city against losses.

Under Anaheim’s lease arrangement with Ogden, the city is liable for up to $2.5 million each year for the first eight years if there are professional teams signed to the venue.

Preparations for construction are already under way. Engineers have been grading and building temporary construction fixtures, such as outdoor lighting and an additional parking lot, preparing the 7-acre site across the street from Anaheim Stadium for development since early last fall.

A spokesman for the construction company said it plans to begin building on the lot in June.

Architectural highlights such as arched entryways, a domed ceiling and a palm tree-lined entrance will be built as designed by Hellmuth, Obatata & Kassabaum of Kansas City. Officials said Ogden will begin marketing the arena’s planned 82 luxury boxes in August.

Anaheim Arena: HuntCor Wins the Tip-Off

HuntCor Inc. on Tuesday won the contract to build Anaheim’s planned 19,200-seat sports and entertainment arena. The Phoenix-based contractor’s bid of $60.55 million was the lowest from the seven contractors vying for the job. The arena is schedule to open in late summer of 1993, and the city hopes to lure both professional basketball and hockey teams to the venue.

The Winning Bid

Bids are for the arena building, parking and landscaping. Separate contracts will be awarded for offsite improvements and equipment for the building.

Company: Bid (Millions)

1. HuntCor Inc.: $60.55

2. PCL Construction Services Inc.: 61.02

3. Mardian Construction: 61.40

4. Swinerton & Walberg Co.: 61.52

5. George Hyman Construction Co.: 63.14

6. Peck Jones/Ohbayashi: 64.38

7. Kiewit Construction Co.: 65.49

Recent HuntCor Athletic Venue Projects

HuntCor Inc. has served as general contractor or managed construction of several major athletic venues, including the Superdome in New Orleans and Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Among the company’s projects during the past five years:

Cost Project (Millons) Status Anaheim Arena $60.6 Bid Accepted Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum * $130.0 Under design Alamo Dome (San Antonio) $120.0 Under design Tampa Bay Arena $54.0 Under design Quad City Arena (Moline, Ill.) $24.0 Under design San Jose Arena $76.5 Under construction America West Arena (Phoenix) $50.0 Under construction Pyramid Arena (Memphis, Tenn.) $46.0 Under construction Suncoast Dome (St. Petersburg, Fla.) $71.6 Completed 1990 Bradley Center (Milwaukee) $61.7 Completed 1988 Joe Robbie Stadium (Miami) $89.8 Completed 1987 Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium $20.7 Completed 1987 (Memphis, Tenn.)*

* Renovation/expansion

Sources: City of Anaheim, HuntCor Inc.

The Arena

Capacity: 19,200, with 82 luxury boxes and 1,700 club seats.

Opening: Scheduled for late summer 1993

Total Cost: $100 million for the complex, including $60.55 million in arena construction costs.

Purpose: Sports and entertainment.

City hopes to lure professional teams.

Owner: City of Anaheim

Operator: Ogden Services Corp.

Financing: $103 million in city-issued bonds.

Construction Begins: June.