If the architectural/engineering firm of Ankeny Kell Architects and the city of Austin can come to an agreement on terms, AKA will be the team directing the renovation of Riverside Arena.

Wednesday, August 18, 1999

If the architectural/engineering firm of Ankeny Kell Architects and the city of Austin can come to an agreement on terms, AKA will be the team directing the renovation of Riverside Arena. If not, second choice TSP Group – which was involved in the original Riverside project – will take charge.

That was the consensus after a round-table discussion at the city’s Park and Recreation offices Tuesday. AKA was the initial choice of city administrator Pat McGarvey and Park and Rec Director Denny Maschka. On the other hand, Park and Rec Board Chairman Gary Quednow and Austin City Council Park and Rec Committee Chairwoman Gloria Nordin liked TSP better.

In total, four firms interviewed for the remodeling of Riverside Arena from a mostly ice skating facility to a community center. All four – Yaggy Colby Associates and Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc. also included – had experience with larger community centers and were solicited by the city.

AKA is the only firm without a history in Austin, but brought an impressive portfolio of work that included the Chaska Community Center as well as community centers in Maplewood, St. Croix Valley, Monticello and Inver Grove Heights.

"Ankeny Kell showed some real innovation in some of their designs," Maschka said. "The way I see it, you can do something or you can really do something."

On the other hand, while board members were impressed by the appearance of the AKA projects, Quednow worried that the firm would consider looks over workable space.

"I’m looking at getting the most activities in the building for our money," Quednow said. "I’m not looking for glitz."

Cost was another concern. AKA had said their price would be between 9-11 percent of costs; TSP broke the charges down into 7.5 percent of the first $600,000; 7 percent for the next $600,000 and any costs over $1.2 million at $6.75 percent.

McGarvey hopes to have a tentative agreement with AKA by the week’s end.

"I’ll let them know they’re our first choice, but that their price is on the high side," McGarvey said. "If they won’t come down to the 7-7 1/2 percent range, we’ll take our business to TSP."