Macon Arena Construction: Subcontractors and Suppliers Sought November 17
MACON, Georgia – Macon-Bibb County and Barton Malow + Sheridan Construction will hold a second information and pre-qualifying registration session on November 17 for subcontractors, vendors and suppliers who want to work on the new Macon Arena. The session runs from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Macon Centreplex, 200 Coliseum Drive.
Organizers want all interested firms to attend, including SLBE, MBE, WBE and DBE businesses. Registration is not required but is encouraged. Details are on the Barton Malow project page.
What vendors will learn
Vendors will get information on specific bid packages, including when bids go out, how to get prequalified and who the direct project contacts are. They will also hear about other upcoming vendor and supplier opportunities.
Macon-Bibb County’s Office of Small Business Affairs is contacting all current county vendors about the event. The office will also explain at the session how to become a vendor with Macon-Bibb County.
“Meeting in person lets firms talk directly with the project team, ask questions, and understand how their capabilities fit the size and needs of the project,” said Kim Brown, Supplier Engagement Specialist II with Barton Malow. “It’s also a chance to network with other contractors and vendors, which can lead to teaming and second-tier opportunities that a website posting wouldn’t create.”
“A project of this magnitude is very rare for our entire region, and we want to make sure our local, small, and minority businesses have every chance to make a competitive bid,” said OSBA Director Charise Stephens-Merriweather.
Mayor Lester Miller said the arena will be more than a venue.
“This arena won’t be just a venue, it will be a destination and major economic engine that creates opportunities, attracts visitors, and keeps our city competitive for years to come,” Miller said. “Along with the Atrium Health Amphitheater and recently renovated Macon City Auditorium, we are changing the entire entertainment, event, and sports landscape for the region and state.”
Current bid packages
- Final cleaning
- Ornamental metals, railings, guardrails, dividing rails and drink rails
- Architectural woodwork, casework and finish carpentry
- Fluid applied flooring, sealed concrete and polished concrete
- Doors, frames and hardware
- Overhead doors, coiling grilles and counter roll ups
- Tiling
- Flooring and base
- Coatings and wall coverings
- Terrazzo
- Acoustical ceilings
- Toilet partitions, accessories and miscellaneous specialties
- Commercial kitchen equipment and residential appliances
- Parking control equipment
- Loading dock equipment
- Stadium seating and retractables
- Athletic equipment, sports netting and pads
- Audio visual, sound reinforcement, broadcast cabling and video production
- Structured cabling
- Telecommunications, converged network, VOIP and IPTV
- Access control and video surveillance
- Asphalt paving, curb and gutter
- Fences and gates
- Landscaping and irrigation
- Hardscape, unit paving, site finishes and site furnishings
About the arena
The new Macon Arena is slated to open in late 2028. It replaces the Macon Coliseum, which hosted events for nearly 60 years. Earlier coverage is in our report on the arena groundbreaking.
The seating bowl can be reconfigured for concerts, sporting events, competitions, family entertainment, community programming and conventions. Luxury suites, club suites and loge boxes will add premium seating. Maximum capacity is 12,298 for a center-stage concert that also uses the flex hall.
An approximately 35,000-square-foot flex hall will attach to the building. It can hold an additional ice sheet, tradeshows, conferences and high school sporting events. Outdoor plazas will host festivals, performances, watch parties and civic celebrations.
The curved exterior is meant to echo the flow of the Ocmulgee River, and the building lines up directly with Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. The building will include dedicated space for the Macon Sports Hall of Fame.
A signature spectator bridge will offer a view of the arena interior and the city. Designers studied sightlines to maximize visibility from every seat.
“From visitors to athletes to entertainers to staff…we’ve thought about them all in this design,” Miller said. “This will be a great experience for any person walking through the doors.”
