The beleaguered construction industry has begun to stabilize and is poised to rebound, but not noticeably until next year, according to a new survey by the Associated General Contractors of America.

“There are some promising signs, especially with employment,” said Stephen Sandherr, CEO of the association. “But we don’t expect a broad-based recovery until 2013.”

Fewer construction companies plan to shed jobs in 2012, according to the poll of 1,300 released yesterday.

Only 9 percent said they plan layoffs this year, and 32 percent plan to add jobs.

According to the survey, 37 percent of the companies laid off workers last year, 34 percent added employees, and 29 percent kept their employee count steady.

The economic-stimulus package that President Barack Obama signed in February 2009 helped many construction companies survive, said Kenneth Simonson, chief economist of the Associated General Contractors of America.

“Research has found a correlation between the stimulus and increased employment,” Simonson said. “The flip side is, the money has largely been appropriated or canceled and we’re not seeing any additional benefits. The highway contractors are really scrambling to fill their order books.”

Passage of the long-delayed federal highway transportation bill, which funds road, bridge and rail construction projects, could help construction companies that specialize in these areas.

“There’s a lot of talk in Washington about infrastructure and how important it is,” said Chris Runyan, president of the Ohio Contractors Association, which has headquarters in Columbus.

Congress, he added, can’t seem to find enough money for infrastructure construction, and an increase in the gas tax will be a hard sell, given the current economic outlook.

“Nobody wants to see the gas tax increase, but at the same time, for the sake of the construction business and our society, we need good infrastructure,” Runyan said.

Areas where contractors see the most growth potential this year: power-related projects, hospitals and colleges.

Simonson said projects at hospitals and colleges were delayed when the tanking of the stock market hurt endowment funds and donations. Many hospital and college projects are back on track because the stock market recovered.

“I am a little less confident that the higher-education side will rebound because so many are publically funded,” Simonson said. “Many have substantial endowments, but most depend on their state legislatures for funding, and I only see modest improvement.”

The contractors were less optimistic about the market for public buildings and public schools, and for green construction projects.

The cost of employee health care is also a concern; 81 percent said they paid more in that area in 2011 than in 2010.

Contractors also have focused on cutting costs and increasing efficiency, and they have “learned how to do more with less,” Sandherr said.

swartenberg@dispatch.com

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Conference Materials & Resources

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To learn more and register for the OCR Academy in your area, click this link:  http://www.regonline.com/ohioconstructionreformacademy or go to the Ohio Construction Reform website at http://ocr.ohio.govand click on Events.

Governor John Kasich has reappointed Richard Bowen, AIA, Cleveland, to the Ohio Architects Board.

Protesters worried costly proceedings would hurt Seneca Co.

TIFFIN — A group of Seneca County taxpayers fighting demolition of the county’s 1884 courthouse say they will not pursue that fight in court.

David Carroll, a Columbus attorney representing the group, said Tuesday that he intends to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court. Depositions of key county officials scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday also have been canceled.

“The case was about needing adequate court facilities for the efficient administration of justice, and it was clear to my clients that the way the county could afford that was through the rehabilitation of the 1884 courthouse,” Mr. Carroll said. “Since the 1884 courthouse is going to be gone, if we continue the lawsuit it could break the county.

“My clients are interested in the welfare of the people of Seneca County, and we just hope the commissioners will do the right thing in terms of providing adequate court facilities.”

In a 2-1 vote, commissioners last month hired B&B Wrecking and Excavating of Cleveland to tear down the courthouse and clear the site at a cost of $373,000. A fence was erected around the courthouse Dec. 19, and the lawsuit was filed the same day.

The plaintiffs asked the state’s high court to issue a temporary restraining order that would have immediately stopped demolition of the downtown landmark, but the court denied their motion in a 6-1 decision.

Seneca County Administrator Stacy Wilson said B&B employees began removing asbestos from inside the courthouse last week and were continuing that work Tuesday. They also were removing fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts that cannot go to the landfill, she said.

According to documents filed by B&B with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the courthouse is to be razed “by crane, backhoe, or loader” beginning Jan. 3. Demolition debris is to be hauled to the Sunny Farms Landfill near Fostoria, while asbestos was to be taken to Minerva Enterprises in Waynesburg, Ohio.

The company’s work schedule estimates demolition would be done by Jan. 19 with the entire job completed by Feb. 1.

It’s sobering news for those who have fought for years to preserve the courthouse.

“It’s very, very sad. I don’t know if Tiffin is ever going to be the same,” said Rayella Engle, one of the 44 plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

County Prosecutor Derek DeVine said he had planned to file a motion to dismiss the suit, but stopped working on that after Mr. Carroll informed him the group would voluntarily dismiss the suit. He had sent Mr. Carroll a letter last week urging him to do so, saying commissioners would be seeking sanctions against the group if it continued the legal action.

“The purpose of the letter was to try to convince him that it was time to stop the litigation,” Mr. DeVine said. “The Supreme Court didn’t think there was a whole lot of likelihood of their being successful, so they didn’t grant an injunction.”

While he told Mr. Carroll in the letter that the lawsuit was “purely political in nature, an attempt to stall the lawful decision of the Board of Commissioners, and frivolous,” Mr. Carroll disagreed.

He said he believed the Ohio Supreme Court ultimately would have ordered county commissioners to provide an adequate courthouse, but by that time the 1884 courthouse would have been leveled.

“The commissioners seem bound and determined to do the wrong thing by the people of Seneca County, and one would expect at the next election that would be reflected,” Mr. Carroll said.

“It’s unfortunate that an historic gem has to lose its existence in the process.”

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-724-6129.

Ohio construction jobs up, bucking national trend

Ohio saw an uptick in the number of construction jobs in November as the national construction employment picture continued to look bleak, the Dayton Daily News reports.

The Associated General Contractors of America said November construction employment in Ohio improved 2.6 percent to 170,900 jobs, up from 166,500 jobs a year ago, the newspaper reports.

Construction employment fell in 146 out of 337 metropolitan areas due in part to the number of temporary jobs that were eliminated, the newspaper reports.

Asking Ohio colleges to collaborate might better prioritize capital spending

Columbus Dispatch Editorial: 12/30/11

Gov. John Kasich has asked Ohio’s 37 public colleges and universities to figure out how to divvy up the state’s slim budget and submit a single wish list for campus construction and repairs.

Positioning the schools to cooperate rather than compete is astute.

University leaders are best-positioned to evaluate the hard choices that must be made, since they live with the problems daily and will have to live with the decisions long-term. And by making colleges sit down together to determine priorities, they cannot help but gain a better understanding of the needs of their sister institutions.

The governor focused the universities by giving them a tight deadline to draw up a common capital-improvements request: They have two months. The tight deadline will reduce the amount of time for politicking and make this a more straightforward task.

It reportedly took the schools a year and a half to agree on the formula they’ve been using for the past 14 years; it ensured that each school gets at least a share of the budget. Before then, politics ruled, so those with the best lobbyists could muscle their way to the biggest awards.

The governor has asked Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee to guide the schools, which are to submit the list by mid-February. State Budget Director Tim Keen already has warned all state agencies to carefully review their capital needs and request only essential funding.

New construction, Keen wrote in a memo, will be held to “an extremely high threshold.”

Universities might have some justification for arguing that they need relief because that threshold was not so high in the past. During prosperity, the state encouraged colleges to expand; now they have more buildings to maintain.

And, to make things worse, the cash-strapped state skipped its last capital budget — one that, two years before, in 2009-10, had provided colleges and universities with $431 million.

At present, Ohio’s universities face $5 billion in backlogged maintenance projects. Ohio University, for instance, says it needs $2.5 billion over the next 20 years to keep the campus from falling apart.

The upcoming budget won’t provide nearly enough, but making the colleges confer could elicit a more-disciplined request. When colleges created lists individually, they were apt to ask for more than they expected to get, leaving state officials to try to figure out priorities.

Times have changed. Schools will need to be respectful of each others’ challenges. Ohio’s public universities and colleges already are allied, having formed the University System of Ohio in 2007 to decrease duplication and share resources. Asking them to unify over a capital budget is a logical next step.

And universities have been asking for less imposition from the state and greater freedom. This should give them the opportunity to show they can handle it.

The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) announced Thursday that 13 owners will be awarded a combined $14.9 million as part of the seventh round of its Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program.

The awards, which were renewed in the FY12-13 budget, will go to renovating historic buildings in five communities. ODOD said the projects are expected to leverage more than $100 million in private investments.

“Historic preservation projects strengthen local communities by spurring private investments and creating jobs through construction and reoccupation of vacant and underutilized buildings,” Christiane Schmenk, director of the Ohio Department of Development, said in a statement.

The projects receiving awards are:

– 15th and Republic (Cincinnati, Hamilton County) will receive a tax credit of $762,500. It involves four buildings in the heart of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Upon rehabilitation, the buildings will house 19 residential units. Two of the four buildings received Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credits as part of the $11 million project and will contain 13 rental apartments at 1437 Republic and 13 West 15th  Street. Construction on the project is expected to generate 97 jobs. 

– Cascade Lofts (Akron, Summit County) will receive a tax credit of $908,705. Located in the Cascade Locks Historic District on the former Ohio and Erie Canal, the project involves the redevelopment of the former Swinehart Tire and Rubber Company factory. The redevelopment of the structure includes residential space overlooking the canal, in addition to retail space that will serve visitors of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

– Civic Theatre Block (Akron, Summit County) will receive a $2,439,741 tax credit. It includes six long-vacant buildings surrounding the Civic Theatre in Downtown Akron. When complete, the mixed-use buildings will house first floor retail, restaurants overlooking the adjacent canal park, and residential apartments. One of the buildings, 172 South Main Street, received tax credits during Round 5 of the program. This award will provide tax credits for the remaining five buildings. The restaurant and retail space is anticipated to create more than 245 jobs and the rehabilitation work will generate nearly 100 construction jobs.

– Crown Building (Cincinnati, Hamilton County) will receive a tax credit of $279,470. Positioned across from Findlay Market in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, it is a four-story structure erected circa 1880. The upper stories of the building have been vacant for decades and suffered fire damage to the roof in 2008. The rehabilitation of the building includes residential apartments, commercial office space, and a restaurant. The project is anticipated to act as a catalyst for redevelopment at the western gateway to the market. 

– Euclid-71st Street Building (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County) will receive a $4,381,703 tax credit. Prominently seated along Euclid Avenue in Midtown Cleveland, the building was constructed in 1919. Now vacant, the facility was most recently used for industrial storage. The building will be redeveloped into leasable tenant office space with first floor retail space. The nearly 150,000 square feet of office space is expected to house more than 200 employees upon completion.

– Gifford House and Carriage House (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County) will receive a $108,914 tax credit. Constructed on what was once Cleveland’s second most prestigious residential street, it was completed in 1901 in Tudor Revival style. After use as a residence and clubhouse, the home was most recently occupied by a fraternity. The rehabilitation of the house and carriage house will restore the original interior while accommodating four commercial office spaces and one apartment. Ziska Architecture, a commercial and residential architectural firm, is undertaking the project and will relocate their studios to the building. 

– Haddon Hall (Cincinnati, Hamilton County) will receive a tax credit of $1.15 million. Erected in 1910, it was converted to affordable housing for the Avondale Neighborhood of Cincinnati in 1982. The Reading Road building will undergo major rehabilitation to upgrade building systems and finishes to both improve resident amenities and increase energy efficiency. Nearly 130,000 square feet in size, the facility houses senior and disabled residents in 114 apartments.

– Highland and Crescent Apartments (Akron, Summit County) will receive a tax credit of $134,314. The apartments are a pair of garden-style apartment buildings located in the heart of Akron’s Highland Square commercial district. Both apartment buildings will be rehabilitated with modern heating systems, masonry and structural repairs, and upgrades to the bathrooms and kitchens. The redevelopment will permit the now vacant units to be reoccupied and provide residential base for the businesses in Highland Square.

– Hotel Ashtabula (Ashtabula, Ashtabula County) will receive a total tax credit of $639,350. One of the most prominent structures on Ashtabula’s Main Avenue, the hotel has hosted famous guests including Bob Hope. Closed since 1985, the building will now be brought back to life as commercial office space. Signature Health, a leading mental health provider in Ashtabula County, will relocate their offices and 45 jobs to the building. Construction activities are expected to generate 85 jobs. The Hotel Ashtabula is the first project in Ashtabula to take advantage of the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program.

– Park-Southworth Building (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County), will receive a $1,977,416 tax credit. The project includes two buildings located directly on Cleveland’s Public Square. In recent years, the Park Building was partially renovated and includes 13 occupied condominiums and first floor retail space. The tax credit will allow the remainder of the Park Building and the connecting Southworth Building to be converted into 34 market-rate apartments with live-work space. The project addresses the growing demand for rental residential units in Downtown Cleveland and is expected to create 46 construction jobs.

– Rialto Theater (Cleveland, Cuyahoga County) will receive a $484,108 credit. Originally constructed in 1919 for live entertainment and later converted to a movie theater, the theater is located in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood in close proximity to the West Side Market. Now vacant, the former auditorium space will be converted into the main production facility for Mitchell’s Ice Cream, a local ice cream company with several shops located in the Greater Cleveland area. The facility will also include office and meeting space for the company and a retail storefront where patrons can grab a scoop of Mitchell’s and watch the ice cream production process. The rehabilitation project is anticipated to create 38 jobs.

– Steele Mansion (Painesville, Lake County) will receive a $371,500 tax credit. Abandoned for nearly a decade after suffering a fire in 2001, the mansion is one of many stately homes that line Painesville’s Mentor Avenue Historic District. After several failed redevelopment attempts, new owners are transforming the former mansion into an inn to serve visitors to Lake County and the adjacent Lake Erie College campus. More than 35 construction jobs are anticipated to be created from the building’s rehabilitation. This project is the first in Painesville to utilize the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program. 

– St. Michael Complex (Cincinnati, Hamilton County) will receive a $1,334,632 credit. The complex includes the historic St. Michael’s Catholic Church, rectory, and school buildings. The parish closed in 2008 and donated the complex to Lower Price Hill Community School, a community based school that began in the church basement in the early 1980’s. The rehabilitation work will provide upgraded space for the school’s operation in addition to new space for artist studios, childcare, and community meetings. Construction is anticipated to create a minimum of 25 jobs.

It could be a long Christmas break for preservationists trying to save the old Seneca County Courthouse from the wrecking ball, due to begin Jan. 3. The fight is not over for the taxpayer group leading last-ditch efforts, but the Ohio Supreme Court dealt it a major blow this week when it refused to halt demolition on the Tiffin landmark.

So far, that has largely involved asbestos removal from the century-old edifice, something that would have to be done anyway before renovation. 

The three-story sandstone building was designed by renowned architect Elijah Myers, also responsible for the Lorain County Courthouse in Elyria, the statehouses of Michigan, Texas and Colorado, and many other courthouses, historic churches and other edifices in Illinois, Michigan and other states. Few have been demolished. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places this year.

The Seneca County Courthouse and Downtown Redevelopment Group has offered that and other facts as part of their case to save the building, which ceased to house county courts in 2004. The group notes that Seneca County commissioners had agreed to a renovation deal several years ago before the Ohio General Assembly cut local funding in the current budget. Commissioners say the county would not be able to repay the loan, but preservationists say they would be no more likely to cover the cost of a new courthouse.

Updated facilities will be necessary if Seneca County Common Pleas Court Judge Steve Shuff is right. He wrote a letter to commissioners this week complaining of cramped quarters at the courthouse annex, where the court has operated since 2004.

“After hundreds of thousands of dollars in studies, reports, etc., Seneca County remains where it was eight to 10 years ago regarding court facilities,” he said. “It now appears this court and the other common pleas courts must wait another five or more years to have adequate court facilities.”

Shuff said the annex does not comply with Ohio Supreme Court Rules of Superintendence, Jury Use and Management Standard 14 and Court Facility Standards B, C and F.

“This court reminds the commissioners of their legal duty to provide a courthouse adequate for the efficient administration of justice in Seneca County,” he concluded, bolding and underlining the word “courthouse” for emphasis.

Columbus attorney David Carroll, who is leading the taxpayer group, says the common pleas court may be their only hope.

“The common pleas judges have the right to issue orders to the county commissioners with respect to the adequacy of their court facilities,” he told The BladeFriday. “They still have the opportunity to act, and I hope they will because they are the only and best hope, in my opinion.”

The Blade has closely covered the courthouse dispute, filing a public records case against the county commissioners in 2008.

The Supreme Court did not dismiss the case altogether. It is unclear, however, whether it will ever get to hear arguments for saving the courthouse.

USGBC Recognizes OSFC

The Ohio School Facilities Commission and the state have been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools for leading the nation in the number of schools seeking certification.

The recognition came as the center released its inaugural Best of Green Schools 2011 list. The award highlights school administrators and government officials for efforts in creating sustainable learning environments. In 2007, the OSFC required all building projects it funded to include the LEED for Schools design criteria. Currently, 265 buildings have either registered or achieved certification.

“As an agency, OSFC is dedicated to working in partnership with local school districts to build facilities that enhance education and emphasize operational efficiency,” commission Executive Director Richard Hickman said in a release.

“The use of green building techniques such as those established by the U.S. Green Building Council are a vital part of this initiative. We will continue our efforts to lead the nation in incorporating these sustainable design techniques into our projects.”

Ohio leads nation in green school projects

Industry council says state has 315 LEED-certified projects.

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By Margo Rutledge Kissell, Staff Writer12:02 AM Monday, December 12, 2011

Ohio leads the country with more green school projects under way than any other state, the U.S. Green Building Council said in a report released today.

The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit released its first Best of Green Schools list recognizing recipients from across the country — from K-12 to higher education — for a variety of sustainable, cost-cutting measures including energy conservation.

In the state category, Ohio is the leader with 315 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building-registered and -certified projects, including 19 schools registered this year.

The rating system contains nationally accepted benchmarks for the design, construction and operation of high performing green buildings.

“It’s wonderful and such an honor to receive this award because it shows the rest of the United States what’s happening truly in our state,” said Sue Meyer, a spokeswoman for the Ohio School Facilities Commission.

She also credited OSFC partners, including school districts, architects and construction teams.

Ohio has spent about $9.4 billion on renovation and construction of schools, Meyer said.

So far, more than 860 new or renovated buildings have been occupied.

Approximately 175 schools are under construction and 60 more schools are in the active design phase, Meyer said.

An earlier Dayton Daily News analysis found that Miami Valley school districts have spent more than $1.8 billion on school construction, thanks to available state funding that helped fuel an unprecedented building boom in Ohio. In 1999, then-Gov. Bob Taft announced his plan to spend the state’s $10 billion tobacco settlement to rebuild schools.

Dayton Public Schools soon will complete its construction program, the largest in the region. The state is paying about 60 percent of the costs, with local funds coming from a $245 million bond issue passed by voters in 2002.

On Jan. 4, it will open the last of its 26 new schools — Wright Brothers PreK-8.

Dayton Public is home to two of nine schools in Ohio that have received LEED gold certification — Meadowdale High School and Edison PreK-8 School, Meyer said. The addition at Butler Tech in Hamilton also has received gold certification, currently the highest level that has been achieved in Ohio.

There also is silver level and a platinum status, which several schools are now striving to reach.

“We do believe we will see several in the early part of 2012,” she said.

The council estimates that, on average, green schools save about $100,000 a year on operating costs, including energy and water savings. That translates into the Dayton Public district saving an estimated $2.6 million a year for its new schools as well as better air quality and a healthier all-around environment for students and staff.

Meyer said these days it doesn’t cost more to build a green school than a traditional one.

“Probably in the early phases years ago when we were new at this and we didn’t know what to expect we actually did build in a little additional funding,” she said. “But we’re seeing now a lot of the LEED projects are coming in on budget or under budget, which is very exciting news for us.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2094 or mkissell@DaytonDaily?News.com.

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The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) joined state Superintendent Stan Heffner and the Ohio Department of Education at this week’s Ohio Summit 2.5 to explore the other side of 21^st century education: the space, real and virtual, in which a child learns.

OSFC led a session later Thursday following Heffner’s morning address, a collaboration with The Third Teacher project.

“The ‘Third Teacher’ is the physical space in which the child learns,” said commission spokeswoman Sue Meyer, who was joined for the presentation by OSFC Deputy Chief of Planning Melanie Drerup and Planning Director Glenn Rowell.

A program of Cannon Design in Chicago, Third Teacher proposes a revolutionary approach to school architecture that accommodates the blended learning spaces Heffner has called for in Ohio public education. The firm has contributed to deliberations on a 21 century overhaul of OSFC’s Ohio School Design Manual.

Cannon Vice President Christian Long, a longtime educator interested in school design, emerging technology and learning theory, and school architect Trung Le, a firm designer committed to incorporating multiple intelligences and learning styles, partnered with OSFC for an afternoon session drawing administrators, teachers and school planners from districts around the state.

“With an eye on the future of learning,” says Third Teacher, “the multidisciplinary team collaborates with these communities and global thought leaders to formulate systemic strategies for change,” creating 
“pedagogical, technological and social” environments for “agile learners.”

As such, Heffner has urged educators to meet the imminent, real-time demands of students with the virtual world at their fingertips every day.

“We can no longer do architecture the way we used to,” Le told conferees, presenting, for effect, a static overhead projection of a traditional school design with rows of classrooms and desks organized around a lecturing teacher. 

“This is the DNA of 90 percent of learning spaces in the world,” he conceded. “We did this for convenience. We did this so we could replicate, so we could scale up.”

OSFC concurred with his assessment in its summit preview: “We are rethinking and questioning the relevance of learning spaces associated with 19^th century pedagogy that fostered conformity, uniformed progression and didactic instruction. Spaces labeled as ‘classrooms’ conjure up the pervasive habits and patterns of teaching with the teacher essentially trapped at the front wall lecturing to straight rows of passively listening students.”

One of the many shortcomings of this model, Le said, is that children haven’t developed the linguistic skills needed to fill in missing words lost in cavernous classrooms.

“We essentially pay no attention to the acoustic values of the spaces we design,” Le said. “When we talk about innovation, there is this sense that it’s going to cost more money. This is a myth we have to destroy.”

OSFC said schools must instead provide teachers and students a “diverse selection of learning spaces” — seminar studios, collaborative research laboratories, collaborative digital media studios, and more.

Outside the session, Drerup acknowledged that if responsive school environments are the Third Teacher, the expanding learning opportunities of the virtual sphere are the “Fourth Teacher.”

“The Fourth Teacher is really the world,” she said.

Meyer said OSFC is moving forward with the kinds of design concepts proposed by Third Teacher.

“Currently our planners are out working with school districts in the planning process to put them in a new direction,” she said. “We’re involved with eTech Ohio on the technology side of things. We provide a technology-rich environment for every one of the schools built through our program.”

She said Reynoldsburg City Schools near Columbus is already moving toward blended learning. It is one of the things that made Superintendent Stephen Dackin so attractive as a recent candidate for state superintendent of public instruction.

Meyer noted, however, that final decisions on school design are still subject to local control. “We suggest, we encourage, and we show models of what is being done around the state and in other parts of the country

Ohio State University Engages in ‘At-Risk’ Business

11/28/2011

by Pamela Dittmer McKuen

Photo Courtesy of Turner Construction Co.

The $1.4-billion Ohio State University Medical Center, currently under construction in Columbus, is one of the first projects in the state to utilize construction management at risk.

The expansion of Ohio State University (OSU) Medical Center in Columbus is not only one of the largest health-care projects ever undertaken in the state, but also changing the way public projects are being built there. The $1.1-billion, multi-year development is among the first to be delivered via construction management (CM) at risk.

Until recently, state law required public entities to employ multiple prime contracting to manage their projects. In 2009, the state introduced legislation allowing for alternative methods and practices, including CM at risk, design-build, design-assist, open-book guaranteed maximum price, and subcontractor prequalification.

Begun in 2009, OSU was selected as a pilot project. While Turner Construction Co. of Columbus is the project’s CM, Lend Lease Construction Inc., Columbus, is serving as associate CM.

“We now have more tools in our tool box,” says Paul Sherwood, OSU’s assistant vice president of facilities, operations and development. “We can determine which method is suited to a project.”

Sherwood believes the legislation, which became permanent in June, benefit owners and construction managers alike. “Under the traditional model, the CM did the legwork, but we had to be the enforcer,” he says. “Because the CM didn’t hold any contracts, we remained in the mix to ensure all aspects of the job were coordinated and in sequence.”

By holding contracts, the CM is more actively engaged in project, joining team members during the planning stages to perform estimating and scheduling, says Sherwood. CMs must meet delivery deadlines, he adds, but receive incentives for completing work early.

“We now have the opportunity to secure the most qualified bidders, not just the lowest-bidding ones,” says Lend Lease Vice President Jeff Bryson.“We also have the ability to negotiate with contractors. If a bid includes scope that is covered elsewhere, we can make the necessary adjustments. As a result, the owner receives a more accurate price for the project.”

Both Turner and Lend Lease have long-standing relationships with OSU. Because of the vast size of the medical center expansion, whose centerpiece is a 20-story, 1.1 million-square-foot hospital tower, they opted to pool their resources and work together. The arrangement calls for a 70%-to-30% division of labor, risk and reward, with Turner holding the larger share.

The undertaking consists of five discrete projects, each with a project manager. In addition to construction of the 420-bed Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and Critical Care Tower, the scope includes renovations to existing hospital facilities, the remodeling of outpatient, clinical and administrative spaces; landscape improvements and park relocation and development; and infrastructure and roadway improvements.

When completed in 2014, the medical center will be capable of accommodating a 20% increase in admissions.

The steel-framed hospital, which combines a precast and masonry base with a glass-enclosed tower, was originally designed to rise 19 stories. As crews were completing work on the foundation, OSU learned it had received a $100-million federal grant to add a radiation and oncology center.

While welcome, the grant threw a wrench into the project. The sheer weight of seven linear accelerators and their attendant three- to four-ft-thick enclosures required planners to locate the radiation and oncology center on a lower floor, preferably the basement, explains Mark Lavender, project director with architect/engineer HOK, Chicago, the hospital’s designer.

But OSU leaders objected. “We thought it was important to move the department above grade,” says Sherwood. “We didn’t want to add to present patients with a basement experience where there was no natural lighting.”

“We literally had to slide a floor into the building to locate the program on the second floor,” says Lavender.

The challenge was doing so while maintaining the project’s schedule, says Kyle Rooney, vice president and general manager with Turner’s Columbus office. “We essentially built all new foundations,” he says. “We used what existed, but also added a tremendous number of caissons and foundation caps.”

Had the project been delivered by traditional means, the department might not have been incorporated into the project, says Rooney. “The fact that we’re utilizing design-assist allowed all our contractors to function as a team and quickly determine how to modify the structural system, MEP system and enclosure while minimizing disruption to the schedule.”

“We equated it to designing and building an airplane while flying it,” says Lavender.