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The Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee earned the Design-Build Excellence Award for public sector projects over $15 million given by the Design-Build Institute of America. At a recent ceremony in Boston, the award was presented to Cream City Associates, a joint venture between Clark Construction Group, LLC of Chicago and Hunzinger Construction Company of Brookfield, Wis. (design builder) and D*4 Associates, LLC consisting of Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates, Inc. of Atlanta and Engberg Anderson Design Partnership, Inc. of Milwaukee (design architects) and Graef Anhalt Schloemer & Associates, Inc. of Milwaukee (structural engineer) and Affiliated Engineers, Inc. of Madison, Wis. (MEP engineer).
Covering four city blocks, the $123.5 million Midwest Express Center is the largest design/build project ever undertaken in Milwaukee. Owned by the Wisconsin Center District, it provides the city with 200,000 gross square feet of exhibit space and 15,000 gross square feet of meeting rooms, as well as a 38,000-gross-square-foot grand ballroom with seating capacity for 3,100 diners. The Midwest Express Center was completed in two phases. Phase I was constructed adjacent to the existing Milwaukee Exposition and Convention Center and Arena (MECCA). Completed in December 1999, Phase II involved demolition of the old MECCA building and expansion of the exhibit hall. The project was a success in every respect, meeting the schedule on time and delivering the project $5 million under budget.
Several unique challenges arose throughout the duration of the project, which were overcome by the project team. When contaminated soil was discovered, the project team left it onsite, with considerable savings to the owner. This solution was achieved through the creation of earthen berms that were encapsulated with an impermeable clay and located at inconspicuous places on the site’s perimeter.
In addition, changing the building framework resulted in significant cost and time savings for the Wisconsin Center District. During the schematic design phase, the project team proposed that the structural framework of the exhibit hall be converted from structural steel to structural precast. This dramatic departure reduced the time-consuming steel erection process and got the material to the jobsite sooner, eliminating costly structural slab work and permitting structural and electrical work to occur through the winter months. When compared to the use of structural steel, not only did the change to structural precast save three months on the schedule, it also provided for better acoustics inside the facility.
The owner also required the Center to have a loading area that was protected from the harsh Milwaukee winter climate. The building was designed to cross over a major city street, with a six-lane, 1000-foot tunnel under the street to be used for a loading area/entrance. In order to comply with Wisconsin Department of Transportation standards for highway construction, provide an easily maintainable environment, and attractive architecture without an excessive load on the long span supporting the structure above, the project team chose an assemblage of glass fiber reinforced gypsum and light colored corrugated panels to provide a very attractive, yet cost effective design and construction solution.
Clark Construction Group, LLC is headquartered in Bethesda, Md.
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