Holland's Triple Play
Holland Construction Services building three YMCA projects in St. Louis Metro East
Holland Construction Services Inc. (HCS) is guiding construction of three unique YMCA projects in the St. Louis Metro East area, totaling $18.5 million. All of the projects are in different stages of completion and each incorporates a different method of construction.
"The Belleville, Ill., YMCA is a conventional masonry structure with a lot of brick and concrete masonry units; the Columbia, Ill., project is concrete tilt-up; and the Edwardsville, Ill., structure has a combination of pre-engineered components plus conventional steel," says Jim Mundy, manager of HCS's St. Louis business unit, and project manager for the new Belleville and Columbia YMCA facilities.
In Belleville, HCS is serving as general contractor for the new Robert L. & Elsie A. Kern Center at the downtown YMCA. This two-story, 3045.27-square-meter building at 200 S. Illinois St. is the second of two ongoing projects being constructed by HCS for the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, which owns the property. The new facility will include an indoor aquatic center, fitness and strength training center, aerobics room, gymnasium, racquetball court, and an indoor walking/jogging track.
Initial work on the $4.4-million Kern Center began November 8, 2004, and is scheduled for completion this November, according to HCS Superintendent Bill Davis. The facility, featuring brick masonry, EIFS and a storefront glass exterior, replaces an older existing facility and will be an important asset to the revitalization of downtown Belleville, says HCS President Bruce Holland.
According to HCS officials, the Kern Center is the most challenging of the three ongoing YMCA projects because of its location. "It is a complex project because it is being built on a tight site," Holland says. "It is like building on a postage stamp."
Mundy adds, "Certainly the Edwardsville project is a lot larger project in its complexity, but working in downtown Belleville with limited space and working with all the masonry construction has been challenging."
EWR Associates Inc., Fairview Heights, Ill., is the architect for the Kern Center, and is joined on the project by Hoelscher Engineering, Fairview Heights — civil engineer; McNealy Engineering, St. Louis — structural engineer; and Lester & Buehler Inc., Columbia — MEP engineer. Key project subcontractors include Affton Fabricating & Welding Co. Inc., Sauget, Ill. — structural steel; CR Vernier, Belleville — concrete work; Diecker — Terry Masonry, New Athens, Ill. — masonry; France Mechanical Corp., Glen Carbon, Ill. — HVAC; Geissler Roofing, Belleville — membrane roofing; J.F. Electric Inc., Edwardsville — electrical; Missouri Valley Glass, St. Charles, Mo. — aluminum entrance and storefronts; Spengler Plumbing Co. Inc., O'Fallon, Ill. — plumbing; and Von Alst Operating LLC, Swansea, Ill. — gypsum drywall, EIFS and acoustic ceilings.
New Sports Complex — YMCA of Edwardsville
Construction of the New Sports Complex — YMCA of Edwardsville is taking place at 7348 Goshen Rd. in Edwardsville. The $9-million, 10962.56-square-meter structure is being built for YMCA of Edwardsville, and will greatly expand the Y's capabilities for services to the community.
HCS is construction manager for this project, with Dave Schlueter as project manager, and Tom Hoff as superintendent. Construction began June 8, 2004, with completion slated for this September. A high-profile project with a lot of community interest, the New Sports Complex — YMCA of Edwardsville features two wings of metal building construction with a conventional steel center core area. The exterior is composed of metal panel and brick veneer. The building includes a roller skating rink, gymnasium, five tennis courts, gymnastics center, climbing wall, fitness center, and locker rooms. In addition, there are conference/party rooms.
"The use of this building — it's a multi-use building with indoor tennis courts, skating rinks, etc. — drove the design toward a pre-engineered building because space was needed for the big clear spans," points out David Birk, HCS executive vice president.
Mackey Mitchell Associates, St. Louis, is the project architect; Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen, Swansea, Ill., is the civil engineer; Alper Audi Inc., St. Louis, is the structural engineer; BRIC Partnership, LLC, Belleville, is the mechanical/electrical consulting engineer; and SCI Engineering Inc., Fairview Heights, is the geotechnical engineer.
Chief subcontractors include Alamo Painting Co., Labadie, Mo. — painting; Flooring Systems Inc., St. Louis — gymnasium flooring; France Mechanical Corp., Edwardsville — plumbing and HVAC: Gould Flooring Systems, St. Jacob, Ill. — flooring; J.F. Electric Inc., Edwardsville — electrical; Elite Contracting, Glen Carbon — concrete; Manhattan Glass Co., Hazelwood, Mo. — aluminum entrances and storefronts; Mechanics Planing Mill, Glen Carbon — hollow metal doors and frames, wood doors and hardware; Professional Metal Works, Freeburg, Ill. — structural steel; Rednour Steel Erectors Inc., Cutler, Ill. — steel erection; St. Louis Prestress Inc., Glen Carbon — prestressed hollow core panels; Star Building Systems, Manchester, Mo. — metal building; Superior Fire Protection Systems, Forsyth, Ill. — fire protection system; Toenjes Brick Contracting, Millstadt, Ill. — masonry; Von Alst Operating, LLC — metal studs, insulation, plaster, gypsum board, and acoustical ceilings; and Waterhout Construction Co., St. Louis — carpentry, wood doors, interior arch, steel doors and frames, toilet compartments, metal lockers, and fire protection specialties.
Monroe County YMCA — HTC Center
In Columbia, HCS is acting as construction manager for the new Monroe County YMCA — HTC Center. This $5.1-million structure, owned by the YMCA of Southwest Illinois, is situated on approximately 40,468.73 sq. meter of land at 4319 "EE" Road. Scheduled for completion in late December, the new 3,680.17-square-meter YMCA will be the first of its kind in the Columbia area. Inside it will feature an indoor aquatic center, fitness and strength training center, aerobics room, gymnasium, and an indoor walking/jogging track. Outside there will be athletic fields.
HCS began work on the Monroe County YMCA on February 1, 2005, and the project is quickly moving forward, notes superintendent Jim Niemeyer. Building components include concrete tilt-up, EIFS and storefront glass exterior.
Project participants include EWR Associates — architect; Thouvenot, Wade & Moerchen — civil engineer; McNealy Engineering — structural engineer; and Lester & Buehler Inc. — MEP engineer. Key subcontractors are Affton Fabricating & Welding Co. — structural steel; Bel-O The Plumber, Belleville — plumbing; Fenix Construction Co., St. Louis — concrete; Guarantee Electrical Construction, Granite City, Ill. — electrical; Toenjes Brick Contracting Inc. — masonry; United Fire Protection, St. Louis — fire sprinklers; Von Alst Operating, LLC — gypsum drywall; and Westport Pools, Maryland Heights, Mo. — swimming pool.
Inside HCSTom HaleFounded in 1987, Holland Construction Services has been providing quality construction throughout Missouri and Illinois since 1986. The company offers design-build, general contracting and construction management services to commercial, retail, health care, light industrial, and educational clients.Ranked as one of the Top 20 contractors in metro St. Louis, HCS is headquartered at 4496 N. Illinois St. in Swansea, Ill., and also has a St. Louis office at 8860 Ladue Rd., Suite 130. Retail and health care make up approximately 60 percent of the company's work. However, the company has been involved with a variety of other projects, including banks, schools, fire stations, and even baseball facilities — the company built the Gateway Grizzles baseball stadium in Sauget, Ill., in 2002. HCS is currently acting as construction manager for the $5.6-million expansion of the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Ill.HCS has 40 employees between its two facilities, including 12 full-time superintendents. "We usually have 10 to 12 active projects at a time," says President Bruce Holland, one of the founders of HCS.Typically 60 percent of HCS's work takes place in Illinois and 40 percent in Missouri. Holland is enthusiastic about the construction marketplace and his company's growth. "There are a lot of opportunities out there," he says. "We are continuing to grow. We want to dominate southwest Illinois as much as we can, but still grow our St. Louis marketplace. Our focus is doing quality work in the region and remaining a very people-oriented and employee-oriented company."Through the years, HCS has received many awards, including 11 safety awards from Associated General Contractors of America and Bituminous Insurance Co. HCS has also received five Outstanding Builder Awards and Master Builder Awards from Star Building Systems.
22-Jan-2006