Four Firms Took Ralston Arena from Drawing Board to Reality
What Grand Forks, ND-based ICON Architectural Group and Omaha-based Boyd Jones Construction brought to the project was experience. Both firms have résumés that include projects similar to the arena.
ICON was able to design a building that can be used year-round.
“They brought the flexibility that I was looking for,” said Groesser, who added that his chief concern during the entire process was to make sure the city stayed on budget.
Boyd Jones Construction has been able to do that for Ralston. According to Groesser, the firm took ownership of the construction process.
“I was really impressed with their ability to manage the project,” he said.
Olsson Associates, a Lincoln-based engineering firm, was tapped for its engineering expertise. The company was responsible for, among other things, soil compaction and foundation creation for the arena.
Groesser said the process has been “like conducting an orchestra” — sometimes changes must be made to keep the song going. A consultant with Omaha-based P.J. Morgan Real Estate worked diligently to avoid cost overruns associated with those changes. Whether the activity is a concert, sports event, monster truck rally or something else, Groesser wants the arena to be a venue that everyone in the metro area can enjoy.
