Balfour Beatty Construction, in a joint-venture partnership with Metcon, Inc., has been selected as construction manager at-risk for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s (UNC Charlotte) new, 146,000-square-foot, 400-bed freshman residence hall located in the South Village area of campus. This residence hall will meet the needs of the University’s increasing student enrolment and vibrant growth.
A beacon for the UNC Charlotte campus, the residence hall will be designed to impart a sense of permanence and tradition through its brick and precast concrete exterior and in a manner consistent with recently designed buildings in the vicinity. Rooms will be configured in suite style, and each floor will include a classroom, laundry room, lounge/study, multi-purpose rooms and wireless internet access in the common areas. The residence hall is being designed and constructed to achieve LEED standards.
The construction team has established a goal of 25% participation for minority and women-owned businesses (MWBE) on the UNC Charlotte residence hall project. Metcon, Inc., a premier Native American-owned business headquartered in Pembroke, North Carolina, will provide valued leadership along with Balfour Beatty Construction’s director of diversity, Calvin Stevens, in meeting the University’s goal of achieving an inclusive workforce.
“I am extremely excited about the joint-venture partnership with Balfour Beatty,” said Aaron Thomas, president of Metcon, Inc. “With unmatched State Construction Office, residential student housing, and CM at-Risk experience, our team brings together the right combination of talent, purpose and alignment to deliver outstanding results for UNC Charlotte.”
This is Balfour Beatty Construction’s second project in recent years on the UNC Charlotte campus, having previously completed the University’s iconic Student Union that offers dining, retail and entertainment services for the 49er community.
“We are honoured to be back on the campus of UNC Charlotte, a respected and dynamic institution that remains at the forefront of educating our future leaders,” said Johnny Rankin, executive vice president for Balfour Beatty Construction in the Carolinas. “We know first-hand the transformational value of this residence hall, and our team is committed to delivering a landmark facility for generations of students who value the experience of living and learning in the Queen City.”
The joint-venture team is currently completing the project’s preconstruction and design phases in partnership with LS3P Associates, Ltd. The design team also includes LandDesign and Ayers Saint Gross with engineering services provided by Optima Engineering and Stewart Engineering, Inc. With a construction start date targeted for December 2013, the UNC Charlotte residence hall project is expected to complete in the summer of 2015.
Media enquiries:
Beth Hernandez
Balfour Beatty Construction
Tel. +1 (704) 319 4122
bhernandez@balfourbeattyus.com
Notes to editors:
1. An industry leader for more than 80 years, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services for a wide variety of markets, serving clients in both the public and private sector. With more than 2,400 employees across the U.S., the company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering News-Record, and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine, four years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global infrastructure services business operating in more than 80 countries, with a worldwide commitment to providing assets that help societies function, develop, and thrive. To learn more about the company, visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.
2. Metcon, a Native American-owned business, was founded in 1999 in Pembroke, NC. Met-con, which stands for (Metal and Construction), was conceived as a General Contractor specialising in panelised metal studs & truss. In their infancy, Metcon worked primarily on housing and related panelised projects throughout North Carolina. They quickly grew and transitioned into a full service commercial General Contracting operation still incorporating metal framed systems whenever possible. Metcon’s operations have continued to grow opening a new regional office addition in Raleigh, NC in 2011. With over 650 successful project completions, Metcon delivers General Contracting and Construction Management services for Higher Education, K-12, Medical, Commercial, Corporate and Government Entities throughout North and South Carolina. Metcon was recently recognised by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the 2011 National Minority Contractor of the Year.
3. Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is an international infrastructure group that delivers world class services essential to the development, creation and care of infrastructure assets; from finance and development, through design and project management to construction and maintenance.
Our businesses draw on more than 100 years of experience to deliver the highest levels of quality, safety and technical expertise to our clients principally in the UK, the US, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We continue to develop our business in key growth markets in South Africa, Australia, Canada, Brazil and India.
With proven expertise in delivering infrastructure critical to support communities and society today and in the future, our key market sectors include transportation (roads, rail and aviation), power and energy, mining, water and social infrastructure such as hospitals and schools.
Balfour Beatty employs 50,000 people around the world.
