West Hartford, CT – Small business, minority-owned, and women-owned subcontractors across Connecticut learned the best way to bid on two historic KBE Building Corp. design-build projects at a free conference recently hosted by the firm at the University of Connecticut.
The two building projects were the Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse in Torrington and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Residence Hall at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
The Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse is a $67.8 million construction project that includes a 183,600sf L-shaped building with two wings; a two-story parking structure, and an on-site parking at grade level. It is·pursuing LEED Silver certification, and completion is scheduled for March 2016.
The design-build team includes KBE Building Corp., design-builder and constructor; The DLR Group, lead architect; AM Design Architects, Inc., associate architect; BVH Integrated Services, structural, civil, mechanical/electrical/plumbing, fire protection, security and IT systems engineer; CR3, LLP, landscape architect; Geodesign, Inc., geotechnical engineer; and Cerami Associates, acoustical design.
The STEM Residence Hall at the University of Connecticut Storrs campus is a $79 million construction project that includes a 210,000sf multi-story residence hall with 727 beds and a STEM educational component. It is pursuing LEED Silver certification, and completion is scheduled for summer 2016.
The design-build team includes UConn, project owner; KBE Building Corp., design-builder and constructor; JSA Architects, architect of record; DiBlasi Associates, structural engineer; BL Companies, civil engineer; WSP, mechanical/engineering/plumbing engineer; Newman Architects and BVH Integrated Services, design architect and engineer, bridging documents phase and university’s design consultant during the completion of design and the construction phase.
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“When Eric Brown, Simon Etzel, and I became principals in 2007, one of our main goals was to increasingly show our subcontractors how much we appreciate what they do,” said CEO Mike Kolakowski. “This is just one of several free events we’ve hosted for their benefit in recent years.”
In 2007, KBE also made a renewed commitment to philanthropy. Its corporate giving program 50 Ways to Make a Difference was established in 2009 to celebrate the firm’s new ownership, name change, and 50 years in business. In less than five years, 50 Ways has helped KBE associates donate more than $1.2 million and 5,000 volunteer hours to charitable causes benefiting children, seniors, and military veterans in Connecticut and Maryland.
This year’s 50 Ways beneficiaries included hard-working students within Connecticut’s technical high school system, to whom KBE awarded $17,000 in scholarships on June 6. KBE also served as the Founding Sponsor of a Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network (CPBN) initiative and documentary, Made in Connecticut.
