Site Selection
JMI Sports is adept at assisting our clients in evaluating the optimal site for their facility weighing a variety of factors including: neighborhood integration and enhancement, public/private partnership opportunities, public transportation, traffic, parking and infrastructure. This allows the client to evaluate the best fit for not just the immediate goal of building the facility, but the long term goal of maximizing its development potential.
Master Planning
JMI Sports has the capability to provide a wide array of master planning services to our clients. Our master planning process factors in a number of sports venue-specific criteria to ensure that the project is ideally situated within the site, such as: efficient ingress and egress for traffic; proximity to public transportation; existing site constraints, fixed elements and utilities; views from the seating bowl beyond the facility; orientation of the playing field for outdoor venues based on sun arch; prime visibility to major thoroughfares for any sponsorship opportunities and, if applicable, existing and proposed ancillary development in order to activate the entire site throughout the year and maximize its development potential. If it is desired that a specialty master planning firm be contracted, JMI Sports will oversee the selection and procurement process by developing a list of master planning firms, generating and distributing requests for proposals, providing our recommendation on firms to short list, setting up interviews for the firms and finalizing the selection as desired by the client. In addition to managing the successful firm’s development of the master plan for the project and any other relevant ancillary development (parking, auxiliary site improvements, infrastructure, etc.), JMI Sports will negotiate the master planning firm’s contract on behalf of the client and review all payment applications.
Project Budget and Schedule Creation
During the site selection and master planning phase, JMI Sports works closely with the client to identify the desired time table for the project and anticipated funds available in order to create an overall development budget and master schedule. These documents are then continually updated and refined throughout each phase of the project. In addition to design team fees and construction costs, JMI Sports will incorporate placeholders to account for client-direct consultant fees, permit costs and any other applicable regulatory fees into the project’s development budget. We will also work with the client to develop budgets for furniture, equipment and other internal elements (telecom, locks/keys, etc.) for incorporation into the development budget. The master schedule will incorporate the pre-construction phase activities, design and construction schedules, land use and building permit time frames, as well as any other project-specific schedule elements that need to be included.
Programming
In collaboration with the architect, JMI Sports assists the client in developing the specific program for each scope element of the project. Based on our significant experience developing sports projects, we are able to not only provide the client with examples of elements that other comparable venues have incorporated, but can also provide recommendations on elements that have and have not been successful in other facilities. We offer input that focuses on the enhancement of the fan experience, while maximizing revenue and minimizing operating expenses. Once an overall program has been determined, JMI Sports requests pricing and a schedule from the contractor which we analyze in detail to ensure that all elements can be achieved. We then work with the client to revise the program as necessary until it is in adherence with the development budget and, if applicable, the master schedule.
Conceptual Design
Once the program is complete, JMI Sports oversees the development of the conceptual design by the architect which incorporates both the client’s detailed program and their preferred look and feel for the facility. The desired adjacencies and square footages of the program elements will be tested and if applicable, the seating bowl will take shape during this phase. Views from different vantage points will be considered in addition to sun studies for any open air facilities in order to provide the optimal playing field orientation. JMI Sports brings our experience in overseeing the design of various sports facilities to evaluate and provide recommendations from the look and feel of the facility with respect to the fans’ and players’ procession, to enhanced program areas, seating bowl layouts and sightline considerations, interior space planning, exterior architectural design and material selections. Upon completion of the conceptual design, JMI Sports evaluates the contractor’s update to the project estimate to ensure that the design does not exceed the available construction funds.
Project Budget Refinement
During the predevelopment process, JMI Sports continually updates the development budget to incorporate the actual contract values for the consultants brought on by the architect along with all applicable client-direct consultants. We evaluate all place holders and assumptions within the overall budget in order to refine the numbers. In addition, we will develop a detailed permitting estimate for all authorities having jurisdiction. Typical client-furnished items (furniture, fixtures & equipment, audio visual, graphics, locks/keys, etc.) that are not included in the construction estimate are also refined at this point. If desired by the client, JMI Sports will create cash flow reports and forecasts for the project and analyze the variances between actual and budgeted or estimated costs. Throughout the project, JMI Sports will maintain and track all payment applications submitted by the project consultants and provide current balance to completion values for each firm/contract.
Project Schedule Refinement
JMI Sports refines the master schedule throughout the predevelopment process incorporating detailed phases of design and other elements of the architect’s services, anticipated permitting time frames, preconstruction activities from the contractor, and the client’s responsibilities, highlighting critical items. We provide more detail to the construction-specific portion of the master schedule, incorporating major construction milestones, various construction phases with the anticipated times of commencement and completion for each major trade or construction element, and the ordering and delivery of equipment and products with long lead times.