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City approves expanded project‑management funds for Wings arena, practice facility and Convention Center work
Summary
Council approved supplemental agreements adding roughly $6 million for owners‑representative services tied to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center master plan and the Dallas Wings practice facility, with city staff saying the additions are needed to meet contractual delivery dates.
The Dallas City Council on Sept. 24 approved supplemental owner’s‑representative agreements to support implementation of components of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) master plan and related facilities tied to the Dallas Wings professional basketball team.
The council approved 1) a supplemental agreement to provide additional engineering and project management for Component 3 of the KBHCCD master plan, including work on the Dallas Memorial Auditorium/arena rehabilitation, and 2) funds tied to work on the Wings’ off‑site practice facility (at Joey Georgousas Park) and other associated project tasks. The agenda item included a net increase in appropriations in the convention center revenue bond fund and supplemental fees for two owners‑representative firms; the largest single line items were $3,338,807 and $2,624,537 for separate supplemental agreements.
Rosa Fleming, director of Convention and Event Services, told the council the additional fees reflect increased scope required to relocate the Wings’ practice facility offsite, advanced schematic design work and extra engineering needed to address site integration, plaza work and geotechnical concerns that were not part of earlier scopes. Fleming said the project is contractually bound to deliver the arena by 2027 and the practice facility by 2026. She told the council: “We would not” be able to deliver the facilities on time without the additional project management capacity.
Councilmember Chad West and Councilmember Paul Ridley — who both spoke during the item — emphasized the economic development value of major sporting and convention projects and the need to keep the schedule for the Wings and FIFA coordination. Ridley said the supplemental agreements were briefed to the council’s ad hoc committee on professional sports recruitment and retention and that approving the funds will help meet contractual obligations to the Wings.
City and project staff said the agreements cover project‑management services only; construction contracts and the construction‑manager‑at‑risk procurement would follow and be brought to council separately. The construction manager at risk (CMAR) fee referenced during the discussion was described as a percentage fee (3.85%) for that delivery model; councilmembers asked staff to provide more detail on procurement timing and cost containment steps.
Why it matters: the supplemental funding was tied to a high‑profile set of projects — a new professional sports presence, Convention Center redevelopment and park facility work — that carry schedule commitments, community expectations and significant bond funding. City officials said the added project‑management scope is required to keep the contracts aligned with the Wings’ delivery dates and FIFA event coordination.
