OCEAN CITY — With one year of operation under its belt, the underperforming audio system at the Performing Arts Center will soon get a major upgrade after resort officials this week agreed to a single-source contract for the improvements.
During the design and construction phase, the Performing Arts Center’s audio system equipment was specified as a basic lecture and voice quality sound system. After a year of performances, it was decided the initial sound system at the PAC was insufficient to meet the needs of current acts and performances and could curtail booking higher profile acts.
“Now that the center has had over a year of operation, the need for a permanent high-quality, music-oriented, multi-channel audio system has been identified,” City Engineer Terry McGean told the Mayor and Council on Tuesday.
During the PAC’s construction, the Maryland Stadium Authority, which partners with the resort in the operation of the facility, and Whiting Turner, the main contractor for the project, dumped the original low-bid contractor hired to install the basic sound system and the appropriate rigging to support it for performance and work quality reasons and a different company, Design Integration, was brought in to complete the task.
The initial basic sound system is in need of a significant upgrade. Because Design Integration came in and mopped up after the initial low-bid sub-contractor for the audio system was sacked, McGean told the Mayor and Council on Tuesday he and his staff along with Convention Center Director Larry Noccolino had been working with the company to design a custom system that will meet the needs of the center for the foreseeable future.
“When we got to the point for the sound system, we could spend as much or as little as we wanted,” he said. “We started out with the basic package for sound and light, but having gone through a year, we are getting an idea of what we need to improve.”
McGean said the existing sound system is not sufficient to meet the PAC’s growing needs.
“Initially, the single sound system was basically set up for lectures,” he said. “Other events brought their own sound in. We knew we needed improvements and we accepted the low bid, but things went south pretty quickly and we let that contractor go on a recommendation from the Maryland Stadium Authority. Design Integration was brought in and they fixed the problems.”
To that end, McGean and his staff recommended negotiating a single-source contract with Design Integration to design and install at state-of-the-art sound system at the PAC. He used the example of the public broadcasting of Mayor and Council meetings at City Hall to illustrate his point.
“When we air our meetings in here, if we find problems, they can come back and fix them,” McGean said. “When we put on a show at the Performing Arts Center, we don’t want to find problems in the middle because it can ruin the show.”
McGean said the potential contract with Design Integration would not exceed the remaining balance in the PAC’s construction budget. When asked why he locked onto Design Integration and did not consider competitive bidding for the project, McGean said the existing relationship with the company made it a no-brainer.
“I know if we use Design Integration, it’s going to be perfect,” he said.
Councilmember Mary Knight said she learned first-hand of the shortcomings of the existing sound system.
“Last year at the MML opening speech, the sound kept going in and out,” she said. “We’re sitting in this beautiful facility and I’m hearing people say ‘did they low ball the sound system?’ That’s how people think and you only get one shot at it.”
The council ultimately agreed to the single-source contract with Design Integration to design and install the new system. The company has developed two initial proposals, but appears to be locked into using state-of-the-art Meyers equipment, which is over two times more expensive then the closest competitor.
“Meyers are considerably more expensive, but they are the industry standard,” McGean said. “They are what performers expect when they come into a venue.”
Design Integration President Jake Rivera, who will oversee the project, agreed.
“When you look at what we need, without a doubt Meyers is the best available,” he said. “It’s an American company and they are the gold standard.”
The council asked Bob Rothermel of TEAM Productions, who has an memorandum of understanding with the town to expand the number and quality of concerts at the PAC over the next two years, was asked to weigh in on the single source contract with Design Integration and Rivera.
“The guy came in and made lemonade out of a lemon,” he said. “He came in and fixed it when it didn’t work. Meyers is the Cadillac of sound systems. It will work to our advantage when booking the Performing Arts Center.”
