The FairOaks Community Development Design Committee has selected three design firms who will compete for a contract to transform the FairOaks Mall into a year-round sports recreation and tourism complex.
The three finalists — MKSK, RATIO and SmithGroup — were among five companies submitting development proposals to the design committee earlier this year.
The companies’ proposals were evaluated on cost, project schedule, the firm’s approach, experience, as well as their staff’s qualifications, inclusiveness and diversity, said Tom Brosey, a former Cummins Inc. executive hired by the city as a consultant to assist with the project.
“We had five really good proposals,” Brosey said. “It was like, ‘Who aren’t we going to include?’ It was a very difficult decision.”
The three companies will appear before the design committee to present their final proposals on April 17 and 18 at the former J Nicole Store space at the mall.
The design committee is still working with the companies to schedule the interview times.
During the sessions, the design committee will ask the companies for more details on costs and how their proposed projects would involve local schools, including the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., Brosey said.
The presentations will be open to the public, and the public will be able to interact with the committee and presenters after the presentations are over, said Mary Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development. The public will be allowed to ask questions of the design committee and company representatives and make comments after the presentations are completed, she said.
Brosey said he expects that the city will pay for around 75 percent of the costs of the project and Columbus Regional Health will pay the remaining 25 percent.
In February, the Fair Oaks Community Development Corporation Design Committee invited six firms — Johnson Johnson Crabtree Associates, RATIO, MKSK, Rundell Ernstberger Associates, Ghafari and SmithGroup — to submit development proposals to turn the mall property into a year-round recreation and sports tourism complex. The firms were asked, among other things, to include parks and recreation facilities, an indoor sports field and health and wellness activities provided by Columbus Regional Hospital in their proposals.
Johnson Johnson Crabtree Associates later withdrew its proposal.
On Dec. 14, the city finalized the purchase of the 35.36-acre mall property at 25th Street and Central Avenue for $5.9 million. The city put up approximately $4 million, or 75 percent of the property’s appraised value.
Columbus Regional Health contributed $1.3 million, or 25 percent of the appraised value. Additionally, the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County committed to providing $450,000, which is the difference between the selling price and the appraised value. Under state law, the city could not pay more than the appraised value.
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The three firms that were selected — MKSK, RATIO and SmithGroup — will appear before the FairOaks Community Development Corp. Design Committee on April 17 and April 18 at the former J Nicole Store at Fair Oaks to present their proposals. The public can attend the event, and the public will be able to interact with the committee and presenters after the presentations are over.
The design committee will meet at 8 a.m. April 19 at 8 a.m. to discuss the interviews and formulate a recommendation for the FairOaks Community Development Corp. Board, the body that is charged with giving final approval on the firm.
The board will consider the design committee’s recommendation, if any, at its April 30 meeting, which will be at 1 p.m. at the former J Nicole Store space at Fair Oaks Mall.
If a firm is approved, the Columbus City Council will consider how to appropriate funds to pay for the city’s portion of the costs at the council’s May 21 meeting.
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RATIO
Based in Indianapolis, RATIO is an architectural firm with offices in Indianapolis; Chicago; Champaign, Illinois; and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Visit ratiodesign.com for more information.
MKSK
Based in Columbus, Ohio, MKSK is a collective of landscape architects, urban designers and urban planners. The company has studios in Columbus, Ohio; Cincinnati; Louisville, Kentucky; Greenfield, South Carolina; Indianapolis; West Lafayette; and Detroit.
Visit mkskstudios.com for more information.
SmithGroup
Based in Detroit, SmithGroup is an architectural, engineering and planning firm. The company has 13 offices in the U.S., including locations in Chicago, Los Angeles and Denver, as well as an office in Shanghai, according to the company’s website.
Visit smithgroup.com for more information.
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