AGCMO honors excellence in construction at the 2024 Keystone Awards Gala

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO) recognized exceptional achievements in the construction industry during its 2024 Keystone Construction Awards Gala, held on November 7 at the River City Casino Hotel. The event celebrated contractors for excellence across 12 specialty disciplines, with notable accolades, including the designation of Specialty Contractor of the Year.

Stephen Leamon, superintendent at Pace Construction Company, was honored with the Show Me Excellence in Craftsmanship Award for his outstanding work in asphalt paving. Leamon was commended for his leadership in scheduling, budgeting, and reducing downtime and for his dedication to crew training.

The gala also featured the presentation of 11 First Place Keystone Awards, honoring contractors for significant contributions to various projects, including manufacturing, research, hospitality, sports, and historic renovations. Among the winners, Ben Hur Construction was recognized for its work on Procter & Gamble’s manufacturing facility, while KAI, alongside McCarthy Building Companies, earned an award for the Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building Link Bridge at Washington University. Other top recipients included PARIC Corporation for the Kings Hill Redevelopment, Millstone Weber, LLC for the I-270 North Design-Build project, and Russell for the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis renovation.

The Brightline Florida Higher-Speed Rail project received a National Class Keystone Award for its impressive work outside Missouri. The collaboration between Herzog Contracting Corp., StacyWitbeck Inc., and RailWorks Corp. is the largest U.S. passenger rail project in over a century, spanning 165 miles and allowing train speeds of up to 125 mph.

The Keystone Awards assess projects based on how contractors overcome challenges and meet high standards in safety, budget management, and schedule adherence rather than focusing solely on aesthetics or scale. A panel of judges, including experts from architecture and engineering firms as well as academic institutions, evaluated the nominees.

Additionally, AGCMO recognized 12 Specialty Contractors of the Year (SCOTY) for their exceptional performance in timeliness, budget compliance, and overall contribution. Boyer Fire Protection, with the most votes, was named Specialty Contractor of the Year, with other honorees including ROSCH Company, Elastizell of St. Louis, and Guarantee Electrical Company.

SEE A LIST OF ALL THE KEYSTONE AWARD WINNERS HERE.

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Header image: A photo of the award-winning Jeffrey T. Fort Neuroscience Research Building Link Bridge at Washington University School of Medicine. Image courtesy of KAI Build

AGCMO announces Keystone Awards, SCOTY winners

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO) has named Spirtas Wrecking Corporation as its Specialty Contractor of the Year in the Environmental Remediation and Demolition services category.

Spirtas received first place in this discipline by the general contractor members of AGCMO, who were asked to consider their overall experience with Spirtas, including timeliness in regard to completion of projects and ability to stay within budget.

“The need for environmentally responsible remediation and demolition has never been greater, and this industry recognition underscores our commitment to leading the way in this sector,” said Matt Sheehan, president and CEO of Spirtas.

Over the past year, Spirtas has completed 75 environmental remediation and demolition projects in support of Forsyth Pointe, Covenant House Wellness Center, St Mary’s Hospital Convent and the Muskingham River Power Plant in Ohio.

The annual awards program highlights the creativity and talents of dozens of contractors in Missouri’s construction industry. Along with Spirtas, the following contractors received Specialty Contractor of the Year (SCOTY) Awards. (Keystone Awards follow SCOTY Awards):

• ROSCH (ancillary services);

• Vee-Jay Cement Contracting Co. Inc. (concrete / paving);

• Budrovich Excavating & Contracting (earthwork and utilities);

• Guarantee Electrical Co. (electrical);

• TJ Wies Contracting Inc. (interior and exterior finishes, openings and fixtures);

• Charles E. Jarrell Contracting Co. Inc. (HVAC / piping);

• Grant Masonry Contracting Co. Inc. (masonry);

• Boyer Fire Protection (plumbing and fire protection);

• BAM Contracting LLC (structural and finish carpentry);

• ACME Erectors Inc. (structural and finish metals);

• Geissler Roofing Co. Inc. (thermal and moisture protection).

The following contractors received AGMO’s 2020 Construction Keystone Awards.

• Murphy Co. for the Enterprise Center Quad D AHU Replacement;

• PARIC for the Union Station Wheel and Train Park;

• Tarlton Corp. for The Muny Stage and Production Improvements;

• McCarthy Building Companies for the East End Transformation of the Washington University in St. Louis Danforth Campus;

• Massman Construction Co. for the Grand River Bridge Emergency Replacement in Brunswick, Missouri;

• Acme Erectors Inc. for The Vertical Garden in the Steward Family Plaza;

• TJ Wies Contracting Inc. for the State Historical Society in Columbia;

• Murphy Co. for Centene Community Ice Center;

• Murphy Co. for Centene Urban Campus Clayton High Rise;

• icon Mechanical Construction & Engineering LLC for the Pfizer BioPlace New Research & Development Facility;

• ACME Constructors Inc. for Agra Form’s 4-Phased Plant Expansion

• Guarantee Electrical Co. was awarded Keystone Project of the Year in the special coronavirus pandemic response category for construction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s COVID-19 Alternate Care Facility.

The Associated General Contractors of Missouri is the united voice of the construction industry, representing over 500 commercial, industrial, heavy and highway contractors, industry partners and related firms in 110 counties in Missouri. Last month, AGCMO was named large Chapter of the Year by AGC of America. AGCMO operates offices in St. Louis, Jefferson City and Springfield.

First phase of Parkway School District upgrades complete

When the COVID-19 pandemic sent students and staff home last spring before the scheduled end of the school year, McCarthy Building Companies identified innovative ways to streamline project schedules and save costs for clients such as the Parkway School District in St. Louis County, Mo.

Despite the numerous pandemic-related challenges, including supply chain slowdowns, newly implemented safety protocols and labor shortages, McCarthy has successfully completed the first phase of a three-year program for the district. 

The $55 million work program involves nearly every school building in the Parkway School District, which serves 17,500 students from early childhood through high school, and encompasses 18 elementary schools, 5 middle schools and 5 high schools.

Parkway selected McCarthy to oversee the bond program as construction manager at risk, a first for a school district in the St. Louis area due to Parkway’s desire to improve their outcomes from the significant taxpayer investment. 

McCarthy’s scope of work, which continues every summer through 2022, ranges from HVAC and security upgrades to classroom renovations, roof replacements and more.

“By having McCarthy on board as our construction manager, we realized a lot of flexibility and benefit we couldn’t have anticipated. With our buildings vacant since spring, McCarthy was able to get a jump start on work originally not scheduled to begin until the end of the school year in June. Having the early start turned out to be an important advantage considering supply chain challenges encountered during shutdowns,” said James Swingle, PE, group manager, facilities planning & construction, Parkway Schools.

“Fortunately, McCarthy’s extensive industry relationships and trade partnerships, combined with some creativity and ingenuity, helped keep the project on schedule and on budget.”

According to Swingle, when the closing of an overseas factory caused a 10-week delay in the expected delivery of two switchboards needed for electrical rooms, McCarthy relied on its extensive network of local trade partners to develop a solution and identify a way to make the switchboards locally.

In another instance, the manufacturer of a compressor for a rooftop heating and cooling unit agreed to install a standard compressor until the specified digital compressor became available. This creative solution added no additional cost to the district and enabled the buildings to be completed on schedule.

Work completed this summer on the $17 million first phase focused on renovations at five schools, including:

• Bellerive Elementary School: interior demolition and reconfiguration to provide acoustical separation, new ductwork branch line and lighting.

• Central Middle School: construction of a new secure entry lobby and waiting area with resource office, replacing entry drive hardscapes and landscaping, replacing and adding new high-efficiency rooftop units (RTUs), and utility upgrades.

• Hanna Woods Elementary School: extending corridor walls full height to separate classrooms from corridor prior to installing new ceilings, as well as duck work modifications and new corridor lighting.

• Southwest Middle School: construction of a new secure entry lobby and waiting area with resource center office, replacing 20 RTUs and adding 11 new heat pumps, removing and capping 32 curb-mounted skylights prior to full roof and skylight replacement, in addition to installing new entry drive hardscapes, parking lot, landscaping and minor utility upgrades. 

• Wren Hollow Elementary School: interior demolition and reconfiguration of partitions in two classrooms for acoustical separation, replacing wheelchair lifts with concrete ramps, and replacing dock area hardscapes, site steps, and playground landscaping.

“McCarthy is pleased to be working on this project for Parkway Schools which is not only located in our hometown, but is an excellent district where many of our own children attend school,” said Jared Hites, vice president, operations for McCarthy Building Companies. 

St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station wins ENR project award

The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, constructed by McCarthy Building Companies, has earned top recognition in the “2020 Best Projects” competition, sponsored by ENR Midwest, the regional edition of national publication Engineering News-Record (ENR).

A panel of industry judges selected the aquarium as Best Project in the “Renovation/Restoration” category. The annual competition honors building teams for achievement in several areas including overcoming challenges and teamwork, safety, innovation & contributions to the industry, construction quality & craftsmanship and function & aesthetic quality of the design.

Built within the footprint of a 19th century iron umbrella train shed, the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station is a signature element of a $187-million redevelopment of the National Historic Landmark structure.

The 120,000-SF, two-story attraction brings together more than 13,000 animals, from 257 species, in 44 exhibits that provide visitors with immersive perspectives of underwater life in the world’s rivers, streams and oceans.

Using advanced technology and ingenuity, the construction team overcame formidable construction challenges while protecting and preserving the property’s original columns, footings, foundation, underground piping and other infrastructure.

Thirty-two “Best Projects” winners were selected from a list of 112 entries submitted from across the 10-state Midwest region. Winners will be featured in-depth in the December edition of ENR Midwest and honored at a virtual award event in December.

“The renovation/restoration and highway/bridge categories had some of the most competitive fields we have ever seen and most categories were difficult to winnow down to just one best project winner and award of merit,” noted ENR Midwest editor, Jeff Yoders, in the article announcing the winners.

For more details and to view the complete list of 2020 ENR Midwest Best Projects winners, visit https://www.enr.com/blogs/10-midwest-musings/post/50027-enr-midwest-selects-32-best-project-winners-for-2020

Construction of $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium achieves certificate of occupancy

The Mortenson | McCarthy joint venture has received a certificate of occupancy on Allegiant Stadium, the new home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and notably the largest entertainment venue in Las Vegas.

The joint venture team wrapped up the $1.97 billion facility on July 30, marking the end of a successful 31-month-long construction schedule, a mere forty months after the NFL’s approval of the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas. With this milestone reached, Allegiant Stadium’s operations team will move into their new facility to begin preparations for the venue’s first event.

The 1.8 million-SF stadium will also host UNLV football and a variety of other sporting and non-sporting events. The facility features 65,000 seats, a retractable natural turf field, large operable walls that open to spectacular views of the Las Vegas strip, a translucent roof and a variety of premium spaces throughout all levels.

As the design-build contractor responsible for Allegiant Stadium’s design and construction, Mortenson and McCarthy led a team comprised of more than 200 firms; including engineers, subconsultants, trade contractors, and vendors and partnered with the Raiders organization, owner’s representative CAA ICON, designer MANICA Architecture and the project’s design team which includes architect HNTB and engineers Arup, Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. and Kimley Horn.

Visually inspired by the sleek and gradual curves of a futuristic luxury vehicle, Allegiant Stadium is unlike any other venue, making it an architectural and engineering marvel. The unique features of the domed stadium include the cable net truss system used for the roof. The seven-acre ETFE roof is suspended by 100 stainless steel cables that create the light-weight roof structure diaphragm.

Meeting the challenge to provide the Raiders with a real grass field in the desert, the building also features a retractable field system. Weighing nearly 20 million pounds, the playing field is housed in a movable “tray” and moves on 540 electrically-powered wheels, which allows the natural grass field to move outdoors for sunlight and water. This feature provides the stadium with both natural grass or turf playing surfaces.

The Mortenson and McCarthy duo made worker safety a priority throughout construction and in doing so achieved a remarkable safety record with a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) of 0.98, which is less than one-third the national average. More than 12,000 individuals contributed to the project’s design and construction.

Workforce and business inclusion were at the forefront of building Allegiant Stadium. The project exceeded all small and diverse business goals, with 23% awarded to small businesses and 62% of the workforce being minority and female.

From the procurement process to training opportunities and student tours exciting the next generation of builders, efforts were focused on the Las Vegas local community. More than six million labor hours went in to constructing the project and an estimated 6,000 recurring jobs will be sustained or created to maintain venue operations.

Forsyth Pointe construction kicks off in Clayton

Construction of Forsyth Pointe, a mixed-use development in the central business district of Clayton, Mo., is underway.

The US Capital Development project includes two Class-A office towers, street-level retail and connected parking and will add nearly 1 million SF of prime space in the heart of Clayton, Mo.

As construction manager, McCarthy Building Companies is overseeing all construction work, including the delivery of self-perform concrete services on the cast-in-place building foundations, elevator cores and parking structure. The steel-framed glass structures will rest atop a post-tensioned concrete-framed parking structure.

“Forsyth Pointe will be a wonderful addition to the Clayton skyline and community,” said Michelle Harris, Mayor of the City of Clayton.

The 10-story, 265,000-SF east tower will occupy the corner of Forsyth Blvd. and Meramec Ave. And the 8-story, 210,000-SF west tower will reside at Brentwood Blvd. and Forsyth Blvd. More than 20,000 SF of street-level retail space will enliven the development’s street presence.

“The development will add prime office space and innovative retail space, increasing street vitality and the pedestrian experience on a prominent corner across from Shaw Park—one of our city’s crown jewels," Mayor Harris said.

A 7-level parking structure will connect both buildings and extend 2.5 levels underground. At the top level of the parking structure, a 45,000-SF open-air garden terrace will serve as a signature amenity and be available for public events.

Other planned amenities include a 10,000-SF fitness center and a ground-floor arts and entertainment venue.

“We’re honored to partner with US Capital Development and the design team to bring this incredible new development to life in one of the most desirable locations in St. Louis County,” said Jared Hites, vice president of operations at McCarthy.

From the project’s early design phase, McCarthy initiated an integrated virtual design and construction (VDC) process with the owner, designer and trade partners to drive efficiencies throughout the project. This includes the use of cloud-based building information modeling (BIM) collaboration platforms accessible by all team members.

Specific VDC applications include model-based design review, model-based field layout, 3D building systems coordination, laser scanning of as-built conditions and aerial drone photogrammetry to monitor and survey construction progress.

Forsythe Pointe is designed by Christner Architects (design architect, architect of record and landscape architect) and CEDERGREEN, LLC (design architect).

Other team members include Alper Audi (structural engineering), Stock & Associates (civil engineering), G&W Engineering (mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering) and Randy Burkett Lighting Design (lighting design).

The project is expected to be complete in summer 2022.  

CDC selects McCarthy as CM for biosafety lab

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. has been chosen as the construction manager (CM) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a new High Containment Continuity Laboratory (HCCL) at the Roybal Campus in Atlanta, Ga.

The new facility, which is part of the CDC’s 2025 Masterplan, currently is in the pre-construction/design phase with construction planned to begin in early 2021. Post completion, the HCCL will be one of three facilities in the world designed and certified to facilitate diagnostic research on specific, select viruses.

The new 160,000 SF, multi-story research building will increase the CDC's research capacity to sustain its diagnostic mission and support its public health mission by helping communities prepare for, detect and respond to consequences of all public health hazards. The HCCL building will be a Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) facility, a designation reserved for the highest level of biological safety and it will accommodate approximately 80 laboratory researchers.

“For the past two decades, McCarthy has been the premier high containment laboratory builder in the nation and we are thrilled to have been chosen to build this new addition to the expanding CDC Roybal campus,” said Bobby Campbell, executive vice president of McCarthy in Atlanta.

As a BSL-4 laboratory, the new facility will feature high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered supply and exhaust air, air pressure resistant doors, pressure cascade zoning, effluent collection and treatment, and pressure decay tested coatings and penetrations, as well as high purity breathing air and chemical decontamination showers for research staff. In addition, there will be connections to the existing Roybal campus utility systems with below grade utility tunnels and a two-level bridge connection.

“McCarthy has constructed the majority of the BSL-4 laboratory space in the United States, including the completion of the BSL-4 Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory on this campus 15 years ago. We are looking forward to bringing our experience full circle back to the CDC to build an efficient, functional, and technologically advanced research laboratory,” Campbell said.

As a leader for the past two decades in constructing facilities that conduct research related to infectious diseases, biological agents, and other sensitive scientific and medical research facilities, McCarthy Building Companies has built more than 25 percent of the BSL-4 facilities in the United States, including more than 50 percent of the gross square feet.

In addition to the CDC, McCarthy’s biosafety projects have included Boston University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture locations in Ames, Iowa and Manhattan, Kan.

The CDC has selected Flad Architects, Page Southerland Page and WSP to plan, program and design the HCCL. Part of the project management team is from McCarthy’s St. Louis headquarters.

With extensive knowledge and experience in biosafety projects, both Flad and McCarthy are also currently working together on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kans., the only BSL-4 large animal facility in the nation.