News

Procon was selected by the U.S. General Services Administration to provide construction management services for the renovation of 200,000 square feet at The Major General Emmett J. Bean Federal Center (MGEJ Bean Center). 

Until its closing in 1995, the 3-story building of approximately 1.6 million gross sf was owned by the Department of Defense and used as part of Ft. Benjamin Harrison, a former military installation. Ownership of the building was transferred to GSA in 1996 and was last renovated in 2003 for modernization and into a multi-tenant office space.

Procon will be managing the design and construction, providing BIM oversight, cost estimating, and scheduling support services. The design management services will address renovations and alterations of the vacant space to meet the functional requirements of prospective tenants, fulfill policy and regulatory criteria, and provide state of the art workplaces that help define interior design standards for the building. The space will consist of primarily general office space including both open and private office areas, ancillary and support spaces such as conference rooms, secure sensitive areas, storage, and laboratory. 

This project will include and painted wall murals in the public spaces of the building by Brooklyn artist Adam Cvijanovic. The art will combine the building’s historic legacy and purpose by featuring iconic battle sites from locations all over the world that military forces from the United States have fought in.

“Last week I traveled to Indianapolis for two kick off meetings one for end user communications and the other with the design team,” said Cathy Bartlett, CCM, PMP, Procon’s design and construction manager. “Both groups are eager to get started.”

The project is anticipated to be completed early 2023.

Procon was awarded a contract to provide construction management services for the exterior renovation of the Seattle Federal Office Building. With this award, Procon expands its West Coast practice into Washington state for the first time.

With its last comprehensive exterior restoration completed in 1993, the historic building will undergo restoration to the exterior facade, roof replacement, and window restoration. Procon’s contribution to this project will be to provide construction management services in support of GSA to ensure all requirements are met in regard to scope, schedule, budget, quality, historical preservation, and coordinating all activities related to the projects execution. 

“There are multiple areas on the exterior of the building that have decayed due to water infiltration to the interior wall cavity,” said Cathy Bartlett, CCM, PMP, Procon’s design and construction manager. “Without restoration, the building will continue to deteriorate – putting pedestrians and tenants at risk from falling debris.” 

The building consists of a concrete encased steel structural system clad in red brick masonry with a granite base and buff colored terra cotta at the first floor and parapet. The roof is multi-tiered, cascading down symmetrically from the 9-story central tower fronting 1st Avenue to the two 5-story wings extending west along Madison St. and Marion St. Roofs are flat with tall parapets and clad in build-up and membrane roofing. Windows are double-hung steel, typically paired and stacked in vertical ribbons with decorative aluminum panels between floors.

“All of the work on this historic building will have to comply with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties,” Bartlett said. “We have teamed with Jean Carron of Goody Clancy, who will serve as the preservation architect on the project. Together, we will be working to make sure the project receives all of the necessary approvals from the State Historic Preservation Officer.” 

Along with the conservation strategies, Seattle FOB presents the additional challenge of being occupied during construction and presents high foot traffic within its outside perimeters. 

“The building is currently occupied which means we will have to ensure all safety measures are continuously in place inside and outside the building to protect tenants and the general public. At the same time proper coordination will be crucial to keep disruption to the tenants at a minimum,” said Bartlett. 

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2020, with the entire project expected to be completed in 2021.

Procon is honored to be named among Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee firms, up six spots from last year to number 84. Published annually in June, ENR’s list recognizes third-party construction and program management firms who are making momentum in the AEC industry. Companies, both publicly and privately held, are ranked based on total 2018 revenue in millions for construction-management or project/program management services performed as a professional service for a fee. 

“We are proud to be recognized as a top construction management firm by ENR,” said Jason Lopez, Director of Construction Management. “This recognition is a testament to not only our continued growth, but also our dedication to our clients and the trust they have placed in us to ensure their projects are successful.”

This is the second consecutive year Procon has been ranked among the Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee by ENR. 

ENR is a premier publication that provides engineering and construction news, analysis, commentary and data that construction industry professionals need to maximize efficiency. ENR reports on the top design firms, both architects and engineers, and the top construction companies as well as projects in the United States and around the world. 

To see the complete list, click here.

Procon strengthened its ongoing commitment to quality and environmental management by pursuing and obtaining ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications. ISO 9001 deals primarily with quality and ISO 14001 with environmental management objectives. The certifications are governed by the International Organization for Standardization, an association of national standards groups from around the world whose mission is to promote the development of internationally accepted standards related to quality, regulatory compliance, and environmental objectives. 

Procon’s decision to integrate these two international standards into our business is a proactive one that better positions us to make continued improvements to our internal processes. Doing so gives our employees additional tools to improve and maintain customer satisfaction through increased consistency and improved work quality.

“Procon has doubled-down on our commitment to provide the highest level of quality to our customers, while striving for continuous business process improvement,” Mark Ilich, Vice President of Procon Consulting said. “Furthermore, it provides Procon with a path to continually improve and maintain our commitment to operate responsibly and help create sustainable value in our community.”

To become ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certified, Procon underwent an evaluation process that included quality management system development, documentation, assessments, and audits. To maintain these certifications Procon will be subject to regular audits to ensure compliance and to assess initiatives for continued improvement. Procon received its certifications through Perry Johnson Registrar’s Inc., an independent and accredited certification company.