Players Centre selects architect, builder for Waterside Village project

Architect Thomas Gallagher of Westlake Reed and Leskosky already had captivated the The Players Centre for Performing Arts board of trustees.

He was making a presentation in hopes of landing the contract, along with partner Schenkel/Shultz, to design the three-theater complex that promises to be the centerpiece of the new Waterside Village at Lakewood Ranch development.

Then he took his presentation to another level.

In displaying a model of the Black Box Theater portion of the complex, Gallagher showed the board how garage-type doors could swing open, adding outdoor possibilities to the design as well as a connection to the lobby.

Jeffery Kin, the Players' artistic director, was thrilled by the group's presentation. "It was great how they were thinking, 'I see you are looking for this, but what if we did this?'" Kin said. "All of a sudden, we were getting goosebumps. They gave us what we wanted and something more."

Players CEO and Managing Director Michelle Bianchi-Pingel was blown away as well.

"They listened to all our needs and came back with three fantastic ideas and proposals," Bianchi-Pingel said. "They were thinking outside the box. They had these little models that were amazing, like building blocks, and it all was on a type of lazy Susan turntable. It was just smart thinking about how we could anchor the whole (Waterside) complex."

Gallagher, speaking by phone from Shanghai, China, on Thursday, could see the temperature in the room rise when he displayed the doors.

"They got excited, and particularly Jeffery and Michelle," Gallagher said. "Basically we were giving them a platform to do all the things they do. We wanted to give them different ways of using space, and creating flexibility."

On Thursday, The Players Centre announced it had selected the team of Schenkel/Shultz and Westlake Reed and Leskowsky as the architects for its $18 million Lakewood Ranch project and also selected Lakewood Ranch's Willis Smith Construction as the builder. CJ Fishman of Fishman & Associates, Inc., will be assisting as the food service consultant for the project.

Eleven architects and three builders had made bids for the project.

"All three builders presented well," Bianchi-Pingel said. "Basically, we liked the personal attention we would be getting from a local company. Willis Smith has been a great supporter of The Players. Their team was fantastic. All the teams were pretty competitive, but we wanted the hometown team."

"We are excited to be part of the wonderful 87-year legacy of The Players Centre by bringing this fabulous landmark facility to the new Waterside Community of Lakewood Ranch," said Willis Smith President David Sessions.

Bianchi-Pingel said the newly selected architects will meet with architects from Schroeder-Manatee Ranch in about a week to discuss the project. The project includes a 480-seat main stage auditorium with balcony seating, a 125-seat Black Box theater, a 100-seat cabaret stage with dining experience, a rooftop bar, and a main campus for the Arnold Simonsen Players Studio (the educational arm of the organization).

A meet-and-greet for the architects and builders will be held Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Polo Grill in Lakewood Ranch. Food and entertainment will be provided and the community is invited.

The selections on Thursday capped a three-month process.

"I think what set us apart is that we are a fully-integrated design team, the only one in the country to have all the people in house to do theater, audio, visual and acoustics," said Gallagher, who lives in New York. "I hope we showed a real passion because we have such great opportunities to create a dynamic and flexible performance center. We look forward to working with the Waterside Village planners to make sure the center has both indoor and outdoor spaces. We want it to have a sense of being a vital performing arts center, where people will sense that something always is going on and where exciting things are happening."

Gallagher's connection to Sarasota is that when he was involved in the renovation of Ringling Museum in the early 1990s, he met the museum's curator. Thomas and Ileen Gallagher have been married since.

Bianchi-Pingel said the negotiating process for contracts will begin soon for the 4.5-acre project in the middle of the 3,500-acre Waterside Village development. However, The Players needs to sell its Tamiami Trail theater ... the asking price is $12.5 million ... before the project moves forward in earnest. 

"They are well aware we need to sell our building," Bianchi-Pingel said. "We are not sitting on a bunch of money for retainers. But we should have some bridge loans coming through in the next six months or so with a bank. We have to sell so we can move forward."