The city-parish will enter into contraction negotiations with a joint venture of Baton Rouge-based Post Architects and New Orleans-based HMS Architects to do the design work for a $12 million renovation of the River Center Theater.
The city-parish Professional Selection Board chose the team at a meeting Thursday night from among five architecture firms interested in designing the theater that responded to a Request for Qualifications.
Upgrading the theater, which was built in 1977 and has had only minor improvements over the past four decades, is one of several elements identified several years ago in a strategic plan for improving the larger River Center facility.
River Center Manager Michael Day says it’s too soon to say exactly what the theater renovation will include. But several suggestions were identified in the strategic plan. They include
new seating; a new, continental-style seating arrangement with more aisles; the addition of several private boxes; a relocated and expanded concession area; an expanded and improved restroom; and an expanded lobby and balcony.
“We hope the architects will be able to accomplish all of those things,” Day says. “We’ll have to wait and see what they come up with in their plans.”
The Mayor’s office has asked the Metro Council to allocate $1.8 million in design funds for the project. The money will come from state sales tax rebates dedicated to the River Center expansion.
Crump Wilson Architects and Remson Haley Herpin Architects were selected as alternate firms in the event the city-parish cannot come to an agreement with Post-HMS on the terms of a contract, according to Tom Stephens, president of the Professional Selection Board, who says the city-parish hopes to have a contract in place by the end of February.
There’s no word yet on when construction on the project might begin, but Day estimates it will likely be 2017.
—Stephanie Riegel
