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Clark/Blinderman/M+W Zander was recently awarded its second design-build contract to construct a barracks complex at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. The $70 million project will be developed on land transferred to the Navy from the Department of Veterans Affairs and Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School. Ultimately, by exercising additional options, the total contract value is expected to exceed $201 million and potentially includes the design and construction of seven recruit barrack facilities.
“This is an enormous contract,” said U.S. Representative Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park). “It’s going to give a huge boost to the Lake County economy, especially to the building trades. All of this is going to be union work.”
The scope of this first phase features site preparation and infrastructure work for the entire 48.7 acre, seven building campus as well as the construction of a railroad underpass and two recruit barracks. Each 16,700 square meter barracks will provide open bay housing for 1,056 recruits, classrooms and dining facility. Building the barracks on land that was formerly a golf course will save more than $10 million in construction costs because no demolition is involved. The 48.7 acre track is west of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern railroad tracks that run along the west edge of Camp Porter at the Great Lakes Recruit Training Center.
Clark Construction is teamed with the Blinderman Construction Company of Deerfield, Ill. to provide the general contracting services and M+W Zander, formerly Knight Advanced Technology, of Chicago will design the project. M+W Zander will also provide the structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical engineering design for the project. Clark’s Chicago office will manage the project.
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