NEWS RELEASE
Construction Phase of New Art Museum Building Project to Begin
Art Museum Selects Centex Construction as Contractor
ROANOKE, VA., 04/04/2006-
The Art Museum of Western Virginia announced today that it has completed contract negotiations with Centex Construction and an agreement is in place for the construction phase of the much anticipated new Art Museum building project.
The Art Museum will begin official construction of its new 81,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in the next four to six weeks. Earth moving equipment, including bulldozers, dump trucks and front-end loaders, is expected to move onto the new Art Museum site in two to three weeks. A construction fence is expected to secure the building site by mid-April.
Construction of the new Art Museum facility is anticipated to take approximately two years. The building remains on schedule to open to the public in the spring of 2008.
The construction budget for the new Art Museum is $40.5 million, which is higher than the original construction estimates for the building based on cost estimates obtained almost three years ago. The increased construction cost is largely due to the rising costs of building materials. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which sent the prices of building materials soaring in its wake, continue to drive up costs, as does the ongoing building boom in China, which is absorbing much of the world's steel and other building materials.
"The beginning of construction is a significant milestone in the new Art Museum project, and we are thrilled to enter into this new phase of our extraordinary endeavor to create a world-class art museum. We are delighted to be taking this great step on our journey to a bold new future for our region," said Heywood Fralin, president of the Art Museum's Board of Trustees. "We are very confident in Centex Construction's ability to oversee the construction of the new Art Museum facility, and we are certain that Centex will make sure that the new building is built safely, on time and within budget."
Recent Centex Construction projects include the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va.; preconstruction services for the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va.; and the National Academy of Sciences National Research Council Building in Washington, D.C.
"Being selected to work with the Art Museum of Western Virginia and its design team on this unique and landmark project is an honor. Our construction team members are excited about being a part of this important addition to the City of Roanoke," said David Salzer, vice president of operations for Centex Construction.
"As a national builder, Centex is thrilled to be involved in the Art Museum of Western Virginia; this project will certainly be prominent in our national portfolio. The project is clearly worthy of national recognition and it is sure to be honored with numerous awards," said Steve Smithgall, executive vice president of Centex Construction.
The $40.5 million construction cost of the new Art Museum has been raised as part of a $66 million capital campaign to fund the project. Spearheaded by the efforts of Heywood Fralin, president of the Board of Trustees, Jenny Taubman, chair of the capital campaign, John Williamson, vice-chair of the capital campaign, and a campaign committee comprised of Kent Greenawalt, Leon Harris, Bob Lawson, George Logan, Heman A. Marshall, III, Ed Murphy, Valeta Pittman, Bittle Porterfield, III, John Rocovich, Don Smith, and Garnett Smith, the Art Museum has successfully raised, to date, $46 million from private, public and foundation sources.
The remaining $20 million of the campaign will be raised over the next five years. The public phase of the campaign will begin this spring. The Art Museum also is concurrently conducting an endowment campaign that will continue through 2012 with a goal of $10 million.
"Philanthropic support for the project during the silent phase of the capital campaign has been outstanding, and we are deeply grateful for the donors who have stepped up in an unprecedented way to make sure this project moves forward," said John Williamson, vice-chair of the capital campaign. "We now look forward to involving the whole community in helping to raise the remaining funds needed to meet the campaign goal. We want to ensure that every business and resident in the region has the opportunity to become a partner in this incredible community project."
Regional financial support of the new Art Museum will be critical to both raising the remaining $20 million of the campaign and to assuring the project's ultimate success. The public phase of the campaign will provide many opportunities for families in the forty counties in the Art Museum's service area to get involved in the Art Museum and share in the excitement of the new building.
The new Art Museum, designed by Los Angeles architect Randall Stout, will be a dramatic composition of flowing, layered forms in steel, patinated zinc and high-performance glass paying sculptural tribute to the famous Blue Ridge Mountains that provide Roanoke's backdrop and shape the region's spirit.
The facility will house significantly larger exhibition and education spaces, including an expanded Art Venture, the Art Museum's interactive gallery and art center for children, as well as a flexible programming/theater space, a multi-purpose auditorium, a research library, a book and gift shop, a studio classroom, a works on paper study room, and a café with indoor and outdoor seating. A dramatic spacious atrium will provide a meeting place for the community, as well as a premier venue for special events.
All exhibition and education spaces in the new Art Museum will be wired to provide real-time, interactive distance learning experiences via high-speed network to classrooms across the region and the Commonwealth.
About Centex Construction
With over 70 years of experience in the construction industry, Centex Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, design-build, preconstruction, and turn-key services. Centex Construction operates four full-service divisions headquartered in Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Fort Lauderdale and Dallas. Each one is focused on providing local service to major markets across the United States. Centex Construction is subsidiary of Dallas-based Centex Corporation (NYSE-CTX), which is listed for the sixth year in a row as the nation's largest domestic general building contractor by Engineering News-Record magazine.
About the Art Museum
The Art Museum, located in Center in the Square in downtown Roanoke, features 19th and 20th century American art, decorative arts, modern and contemporary art, and works on paper, and presents exhibitions of both regional and national significance. Tours, gallery talks, family days, special events, classes, and camps are part of the Art Museum's regular programming. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The Art Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM).
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For images of the new Art Museum of Western Virginia or Centex Construction projects, contact Jennifer Wise, Communications Coordinator, at (540) 857-4385 or wise@artmuseumroanoke.org.
Original Source
Additional Resources
View the home page for the Art Museum of Western Virginia.
Read about Randall Stout's involvement with The Art Museum of Western Virginia from the museum's official website.
View recent activities and relevant news at the Art Museum of Western Virgina.
Read an article featuring plans by Randal Scott for the new building design at The Art Museum of Western Virginia.
Read the official press release about Randall Stout's involvement with the Art Museum of Modern Virginia.
Further information about projects by Randall Stout, including the design for the Art Museum of Western Virginia.
Information about how to volunteer at the Art Museum of Western Virginia.
Read reviews on the Art Museum of Western Virginia from Trip Advisor.
Read about what to expect from the Art Museum of Western Virginia from Virginia is for Lovers.
Article about how the Art Museum of West Virginia celebrates its 400th anniversary.
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