Huber still searching for company to manage $18M music center

Source: Dayton Daily News, OhioDec.迷你倉 30--HUBER HEIGHTS -- Huber Heights officials will continue negotiating with potential management companies to run the city's $18 million music center, but no timeline has been established as to when a company will be chosen.Four companies have submitted information to the city and city staff is reviewing the information, according to assistant city manager Scott Falkowski.City officials sent out a request for proposals in November, but they were pulled and a new RFP was not sent back to the interested companies, Falkowski said. An agreement with a management company does not need to go out to a public bid because it is a professional services contract, he said."We didn't want to lock ourselves into doing things if there was a better way of doing it," Falkowski said. "It's such a big project with so many variables that there's not a true apples to apples comparison (with the RFPs)."Variables include concessions, parking, hiring ticket takers and security, and whether the company receives a fixed fee or a percentage of gate receipts, Falkowski said."It's more than just money," he said. "It's a way of doing things. It's about relationships, how they bring in the acts and how they run the facility. By talking with each of these groups, we'll see how they do things. It's about finding the best fit for Huber Heights."Three of the companies the city is considering to manage the 4,500-seat covered music center are: Music and Event Managemen Inc. in Cincinnati; VenuWorks, based in Iowa; and SMG, whose corporate headquarters are in suburban Philadelphia. A fourth company has requested to remain confidential, Falkowski said.MEMI manages the PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati -- the venue Huber Heights is modeling its music center after. Huber Heights has had two consulting agreements with MEMI mini storageotaling $25,000.Falkowski previously said the cost to hire a company annually could be "hundreds of thousands of dollars," and the money to pay for a management company will come from the revenue the music center generates.According to a Conventions, Sports & Leisure study, the city projects to collect a $400,000 profit annually -- following management, maintenance, advertising and utility costs -- after two full seasons of events."We have no reason to think we can't do it," Falkowski said.Construction of the music center is expected to be completed by late summer 2014.Project manager Ken Conaway said concrete continues to be poured at the site and all of the foundations associated with the building is complete. Work on setting the steel and columns as well as the elevated seating walls are in progress or will start soon."We're in good shape," Conaway said. "I'm pleased with the progress that we've been able to make."The site is on 33.6 acres of land along the south side of Executive Boulevard, west of Meijer near the Interstate 70 and Ohio 201 interchange.The property is being prepared for both the music center and GoodSports Enterprises' proposed $22 million fieldhouse/hotel. The music center will be at the west end of the property, with the fieldhouse between it and Meijer.-- Continuing coverageThe Dayton Daily News has provided in-depth coverage on the Huber Heights music center story since we broke the news last December of the city's proposal. We will continue to follow this story closely and bring you the latest updates as they develop.More coverage: For complete local government coverage in the region, visit MyDaytonDailyNews.com.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) Visit the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio) at .daytondailynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage