The City of Savannah City Council voted today to award the design contract for the new Savannah Arena to Perkins + Will.

The $8,820,000 contract to Perkins + Will, an Atlanta-based company, includes the base building design, interior design, and construction administration for a new Savannah Arena. The Arena will be built on city-owned property near the intersection of Stiles Avenue and West Gwinnett Street.

“The SPLOST-funded project is expected to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Savannah by attracting new events and entertainment, retain and better accommodate current events that are outgrowing existing venues, and serve as a catalyst for new development,” said Peter Shonka, the City’s Arena Project Executive Director.

The method of procurement used for this contract was the request for the proposal (RFP), which evaluates criteria in addition to cost. The criteria evaluated for this RFP were relevant firm experience, team experience and qualifications, project understanding, approach to project management, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation, local vendor participation, and fees. The City received nine proposals from nationally-known design firms.

Based on the proposed schedule of DBE participation submitted by the recommended proposer, the overall DBE participation for this project will be 22.02% using eight certified DBE sub-contractors, which includes women and minority-owned businesses.