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Johns Creek council to retool performing arts center plan after higher cost estimates
Summary
City staff told the council that updated rough-order-of-magnitude cost estimates for the proposed Performing Arts Center exceeded earlier assumptions; councilors directed staff to pursue cost retooling or a different consultant rather than halt the project.
City Manager Greer told the Johns Creek City Council on Dec. 9 that consultant updates and market conversations produced higher-than-anticipated cost estimates for the proposed Performing Arts Center and presented four options: reset the budget, reduce scope/phase the work, change consultants or pause the project.
Greer said the consultant’s deliverables included a market-study update and interviews with potential users, and that those inputs pushed the rough-order-of-magnitude cost above earlier SPLOST-based assumptions. "The memo goes on to then give you 4 options for what do we do from here," Greer said, outlining the choices for the council.
Council members questioned whether the study had asked the right questions and urged steps to get a realistic, buildable plan. One member said the consultant appeared to have focused on what user groups wanted rather than what the city could afford. "We did not do that at the outset," Greer said, advocating that the project team prioritize needs within a budget.
Several councilors favored retooling the approach. "It's not going to happen at $140,000,000 or 110,000,000," one councilor said, urging a new approach to arrive at a realistic financing figure and a phased scope that balances community use and cost. Other members suggested combining elements of options 2 and 3 — narrowing scope while engaging a cost consultant or a different design team — and pointed to recent comparable projects in other Georgia communities that were cited in the presentation as being in the $50 million to $75 million range.
Council members asked staff to return with refined scope and cost options and to pursue additional cost expertise as needed. Greer said staff would follow up with prioritized deliverables, partner input and additional consultant options and report back to council.
The council did not take a formal vote to change the project’s budget but expressed consensus to pursue retooling and further cost analysis rather than pausing the effort. The item will return to the council with staff recommendations and revised budget/scope options.
