Robinson Center offers preview

$68M LR project on budget, on schedule, officials say

Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore (from left), City Director at large Gene Fortson, Mayor Mark Stodola, former Mayor Jim Dailey and Capi Peck of the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission sign a steel I-beam during a topping out ceremony for the Robinson Center’s new conference facility in Little Rock on Wednesday. Also shown are Ward 4 City Director Brad Cazort (behind Stodola) and Barbara Graves (far right), a former city director.
Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore (from left), City Director at large Gene Fortson, Mayor Mark Stodola, former Mayor Jim Dailey and Capi Peck of the Little Rock Advertising and Promotion Commission sign a steel I-beam during a topping out ceremony for the Robinson Center’s new conference facility in Little Rock on Wednesday. Also shown are Ward 4 City Director Brad Cazort (behind Stodola) and Barbara Graves (far right), a former city director.

One year in and 130,000 man-hours later, the $68 million renovation of the Robinson Center is on time and on budget.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Construction continues inside Robinson Center during a topping out ceremony for the center’s new conference facility Wednesday in Little Rock. The ceremony marked a one-year milestone in the $68 million renovation and expansion of the center that opened in December 1939.

A slew of city officials and construction, engineering and architectural teams gathered Wednesday morning on the one-year anniversary of the project to show off the progress.

The space formerly filled by a third-floor theater where Elvis Presley and Ella Fitzgerald once performed is now an empty, gutted space occupied by steel beams, a boom lift and crane.

The entire three stories of that inside area -- which includes the theater and conference space below -- have been demolished to one open space, where the theater and added seating will be. Up to 14 large-scale machines are in and out of the area at any given point, working to erect the new tiered seating and a ground-level stage that will result in better sightlines and acoustics.

Wednesday's news conference highlighted another part of the renovations -- the added 7,400-square-foot ballroom that will overlook the Arkansas River. Half of the concrete floor of that space has been poured, which allowed attendees to walk up two flights of stairs and take in the view from where the ballroom will soon be.

"Those of us close to the project have a complete understanding of the actual complexity of this design and all of the challenges of protecting our historic exterior and protecting the historical significance of this project, while basically gutting the entire interior to provide a world-class performing art center and an expanded brand-new conference center on the west side," said Gretchen Hall, president and chief executive officer of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The visitors bureau has administrative control of the center and spearheaded the campaign to renew Little Rock's 2 percent hospitality tax to repay bonds over a 30-year period to fund the project. Construction company CDI/Hunt Robinson Joint Venture signed a $60 million construction contract. The remaining bond funds will go toward furniture, decorations and other supplies for the interior of the building.

When the center reopens in November 2016, the theater stage will sit three stories lower, allowing for tiered seating that is closer to the stage. Boxed seating will wrap the side walls, and two balconies will be installed, as well as an orchestra pit.

The 75-year-old building will also have the glass-walled ballroom for conferences, banquets and other special events. That space will connect to the Doubletree Hotel next door, which is undergoing its own multimillion-dollar renovations.

"I'm so excited about [November] 2016. It will be here before you know it," said Capi Peck, who led the Restore Robinson campaign and is a member of the city's Advertising and Promotion Commission. "This beautiful, grand lady, this icon that we all have history with. All of us. We've either danced or been in the audience, seen countless ballets, Broadway performances and graduations. I mean it has such a rich, rich history and the architectural team has done a wonderful job of blending the old with the new."

From the ballroom, visitors will be able to see the art deco architecture of Robinson Center's exterior through glass walls. The elevator and lobby area of the ballroom has a direct view of engravings on the Broadway side of the building.

At the news conference Wednesday, more than 100 people signed a white beam that will be placed inside the ballroom, displaying the signatures of city officials, members of the media and construction crews who attended what Mayor Mark Stodola called a historic day.

"This is a transition of a building into the 21st century that's going to live long beyond most of us," Stodola said. "It is a new beginning, not only a restoration, but a true transformation of a wonderful facility into one of the finest performing arts buildings that will be in the United States."

CDI/Hunt has employed 470 construction workers throughout the building process so far, which Stodola said is an example of the economic impact the renovations have already had on Little Rock. He said 73 percent of the project's subcontractors are local.

More than 90 percent of the material gutted from the building has been recycled, representing almost 10,000 tons.

"The issue of tearing out the guts of this building and leaving the walls standing was something I think the engineers, who were very confident this could happen, were secretly asking themselves, 'OK, now how are we going to get this done?'" Stodola said, adding that the feat has been accomplished and the center will soon serve as an anchor of a thriving downtown.

Metro on 07/02/2015

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