James River group named Project Team of the Year

Complex projects built in areas of high use garnered top awards during the 2013 Salute to Design and Construction banquet, held Nov. 7 at Ramada Plaza Hotel & Oasis Convention Center.

Awards honoring the Developer of the Year, Project Team of the Year, Superintendent and Craftsman of the Year were presented by the Springfield Contractors Association and the American Institute of Architects at the 29th annual awards celebration.

The Developer of the Year went to Nixa Public Schools for recent projects such as its multimillion-dollar expansions of the district’s high school and junior high. Mike Cummings of Killian Construction Co. was honored with the Superintendent of the Year for his efforts leading the expansion and remodeling of Springfield Catholic High School. Adrian Rhoads of Rhoads Construction LLC was recognized as the Craftsman of the Year for his handcrafted sliding doors installed at the Schweitzer United Methodist Church Outreach Center, while seven organizations, including the developer, were honored as the Project Team of the Year for the design and construction of the James River Assembly West Campus.

Team environment
General contractor J.E. Dunn Construction Co. led the group during a two-year period to build a 108,000-square-foot church from an original 30,000-square-foot building, all while keeping facilities and parking open for Sunday and Wednesday services.

“First and foremost, it was a functioning church,” said Atkisson, a senior project manager for J.E. Dunn. “We certainly had to work as a team with the client, whether that was through design or construction, on how to maintain operations. That’s a challenge.”

Atkisson said James River Assembly fostered an open dialogue by bringing the project team on board beginning with budgeting and design reviews – “before we ever put a shovel in the ground,” he said.

Other firms involved were architect Buxton Kubik Dodd Creative, interior designer Touche Design Group, civil engineer Anderson Engineering Inc., structural engineer Miller Engineering PC and mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor Smith-Goth Engineers Inc.

“It wasn’t just J.E. Dunn. It really was the whole team,” said Atkisson, who worked with Project Manager Leevon Grant for J.E. Dunn’s part.

Construction plans were finalized in September 2011, and earthwork started in November 2011, according to Grant.

Grant said the original facility was occupied through the first phase of construction, which lasted about 13 months. The congregation occupied the new space as contractors dropped back and remodeled the original building between Christmas and Easter. That building, Grant said, now serves James River’s children’s and youth ministries,  as well as classroom and gathering space.

The new space features a 1,400-seat main sanctuary with three large video screens to stream live sermons from James River’s South Campus in Ozark.

The project beat out other finalists Mercy Orthopedic Hospital and Schweitzer United Methodist Church Outreach Center for the honor.

Developing education
Nixa School Board President Scott McDonald said the development community recognition reaffirms the district’s efforts in serving students and faculty.

“We have had an extraordinary amount of growth in Nixa in recent years, and this is how we’ve been preparing to handle that growth,” McDonald said.

Springfield Contractors Association Executive Director Sheryl Letterman said a committee comprising her and four members of the design and construction community selected the annual developer and project team award winners.

After visiting the sites and meeting with contractors and property owners, the committee selected Nixa Public Schools for the recognition based on its $40 million volume of completed construction in recent years, including new elementary schools, renovations and additions.

McDonald said the most recent work was done at the Nixa High School and Nixa Junior High School. The first phase of the projects included adding 26,500 square feet to the high school and 23,000 square feet to the junior high for classrooms, and science and computer labs. A second phase is pending the passage of general obligation bonds, which will hit the ballot in April.

Letterman said previous Developer of the Year award recipients include John Q. Hammons for Hammons Tower, Steve Peet for Branson Airport and Greene County for its Public Safety Center, last year.

“The Developer of the Year factors in what was spent on the project and its impact on the community, but the Project Team of the Year doesn’t look at that at all,” Letterman said, noting the project team honor recognizes contractors’ work with owners to overcome construction obstacles.

Amy DeMelo, director of Springfield Catholic Schools, said she nominated Cummings of Killian Construction for Superintendent of the Year based on his ability to work around a difficult set of circumstances.

DeMelo compared the $11 million project to an “Extreme Makeover” because the vast majority of the total school renovation and classroom addition was completed this summer while students were away on break. Teachers and students were slated to fill the new classrooms this fall, which put deadline pressures on Cummings.

“It’s not like we were building a new high school while kids were still at the old high school. There wasn’t any margin if they said, ‘Hey, we need more time,’ because the kids still had to go to school,” DeMelo said. “It was amazing what Mike and his team accomplished.”