S.M. Wilson CEO to retire in April

Scott Wilson, CEO of S. M. Wilson & Co., plans to retire in April after dedicating 37 years with his family-founded construction firm.

In 1990, Wilson was named president, succeeding his father. Under Wilson’s leadership, S. M. Wilson’s revenue, profitability and repeat client portfolio hit new heights as the firm became primarily a construction manager.

In 2012, Wilson became CEO and Amy Berg was named president. 

Wilson’s announcement is part of a multi-year succession plan and coincides with the company’s 100th anniversary. S. M. Wilson & Co. was founded by Wilson’s grandfather in 1921; in 2014 the firm became 100% employee-owned. 

“Together we have built upon my grandfather’s legacy. S. M. Wilson is stronger, more strategic, and well aligned for the future. S. M. Wilson is entering its 100th year of business with a strong strategic plan and leadership team with a vision for the next 100 years,” said Wilson.

In 2017 Mark Cochran was named the chief operating officer. Berg and Cochran will be leading the firm in conjunction with six additional executive committee members: Mike Dohle, chief financial officer; Mike Mangiore, controller; Steve Meeks, vice president of pre-construction and estimating; Amanda Bohnert, chief marketing officer; Rebecca Cornatzer, chief human resources officer and Jack Kinamore, project director.

“Scott’s leadership has given us a solid foundation and we are grateful for his guidance. Scott has set S. M. Wilson up for success. We are poised for the next chapter of strategic growth fulfilling our mission to go ‘Beyond the Build’ and provide ‘Amazing Client Experiences’,” said Berg.

Wilson will remain a member of S. M. Wilson’s Board of Directors.

S. M. Wilson is a full-service construction management, design/build and general contracting firm with headquarters in St. Louis. Founded in 1921, S. M. Wilson is dedicated to going above and beyond expectations for their clients by putting people first. The 100% employee-owned company is one of the leading construction management firms in the Midwest. For more information, visit www.smwilson.com.

Kingsway Development's $13 million project set for October kick-off

Construction will begin next month on Kingsway Development’s mixed-use project, which includes 58,000 SF of new, high-energy retail, restaurant and office space, facilitated by the restoration and modernization of two classic St Louis buildings.

Approximately $13 million will be invested in a variety of office and retail within the two brick buildings in the Fountain Park neighborhood.

The location, adjacent to the historic Central West End, will also feature a brand-new, 10,000 SF performance venue with a courtyard that will play host to the outdoor functions of the new retail businesses and some special events.

Tenants for 4731 Delmar Blvd., the former Union-Sarah Economic Development Corp. Building, include Elevation (coworking space); Kingsway Development; Conversions Global Marketing; VIP Construction; TurnGroup Technologies; Hawktime LLC; Tammie Holland Public Relations; Wand USA, Inc; Park Central Development; Dream Builders 4 Equity; BRAND Foundation; UPS Store; The Original Hot Dog Factory; and pending tenant, Jamba Juice.

Tenants planned for next door at 4709 Delmar -a former 1920s candy factory- include a business training center, vegan restaurant and radio station, according to the developer.

“Buildings in this area have great bones, they have amazing detailing. It’s wonderful to see people bringing these buildings back to life. It keeps the history of the neighborhood alive," said Carl Karlen, AIA, CDT, LEED AP, design principal with Facet Architectural Design.

Other contractors on the project include Ameresco, Ballast CRE, Kwame Construction, Simms Building Group and ABNA Engineering.

Private-equity financing partners on the development include PACE financing, New Markets Tax Credits, Team: Carl Karlen of Facet Architectural Design, Chris Mazurek of Ameresco, Trivers, Ballast CRE, Kwame Construction, Simms Building Group and ABNA Engineering.

Just across the street the area continues to develop, with a $30 million, 150- apartment complex. The apartments are in the early stages of design by Trivers (architects), who is also designing the $7 million infrastructure improvements for the area.

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.