May 22, 2024, 10:47 AM by Claudia Sievers

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Crown Event Center Committee received a presentation Monday from the Project Delivery Team that included updated renderings of what the new facility’s exterior will look like, as well as renderings of the building’s interior spaces.

The presentation follows the completion of the 100% Design Development package, which will allow for the Project Delivery Team to obtain updated pricing and move into the development of construction documents prior to permitting and the start of construction.

Bill Koonz, Regional Director with project architect EwingCole, shared updated images of the Crown Event Center, which will be constructed in downtown Fayetteville in front of the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse and will replace the existing Crown Theatre and Arena. The presentation included updated renderings of the building exterior from multiple directions, with both daylight and night views. Interior renderings included images from multiple angles of the lobby during both day and night, the multipurpose room and adjacent pre-function area, VIP spaces including an outdoor rooftop terrace, and views from different levels within the three-story main event hall.

Koonz also shared that the Project Delivery Team has worked to keep the design within the Board of Commissioners’ approved project budget of $144.5 million and that the project is still on pace for completion in early 2027. He said the current plan is to break ground on the new facility, including sitework and demolition, in September followed by an early structural package.

Koonz indicated the Project Delivery Team will return to the Committee in mid-June to present the design development cost model, the approval of which will allow the project to continue moving forward with development of construction documents.

In addition to receiving the 100% Design Development update, the Committee also approved the Proposed Prequalification Process for all Tier 1 Subcontractors for the new facility. The process will allow for the evaluation of potential bidders on the project, assuring they have the experience and capacity needed to participate, and is conducted in accordance with State statute and County policy. Following the Committee’s approval, the item was presented during the Board of Commissioners’ May 20, 2024 Regular Meeting where it was approved unanimously.

The Crown Event Center Committee is comprised of Cumberland County Commissioner Jimmy Keefe, who chairs the Committee, Board Chairman Glenn Adams and Commissioner Jeannette Council, along with Cumberland County Civic Center Commission Chairman McBryde Grannis, who serves in an ex officio capacity. The Project Delivery Team (PDT) is made up of County staff, and staff from the County’s owner’s representative MBP Carolinas, project architect EwingCole, construction manager at risk (CMAR) TA Loving/Metcon and Crown Complex Manager OakViewGroup (OVG).

For more information on the Crown Event Center project, go to cumberlandcountync.gov/crowneventcenter.