The LEED-Silver Rusu-McCartin Boys & Girls Club, the first new Chicago Club in a generation, was built on the shared campus that houses the Chicago Police & Fire joint training academy and several minority-owned businesses. The 28K-SF Club offers transformative opportunities and much-needed resources for Chicago’s youth. Featuring 3 stories of classrooms, a teaching kitchen, an ideas lab, a multi-use gym, an outdoor play area and a spectacular roof deck. Built with zero recordable incidents, it exceeded MBE/WBE and resident hiring goals. Nearly 20% of the project’s hours were performed by residents of Austin and immediately adjacent City wards. “It’s a facility built specifically and intentionally for our young people, and we also incorporated youth voice and choice into the design process. This is not just a community club for the community, this is by and of the community, and it reflects the hopes and dreams and desires of our kids themselves.” – BGCC President/CEO Michael Crowley

The Rusu-McCartin Boys and Girls Club of Chicago (BGCC) project was planned and constructed during the early phase of the pandemic, which limited material availability and the construction systems that could be procured due to supply chain issues. Conventional structural steel framing, long span steel beams and precast insulated concrete structural walls were ruled out for this reason, leaving cast in place concrete as the preferred structural system. Large spans over gymnasiums are normally not considered in concrete, but in this case the design team developed an efficient array of post tensioned tapered concrete beams to elegantly span the gym to support the green roof and terrace above. The concrete structure enabled minimal use of more expensive finished construction materials as the structural finishes for the core walls, ceilings and columns were left exposed throughout. The concrete floors in the entire project were polished to levels 1 and 3 and sealed for a long-lasting and low-maintenance finish. The concrete structure also resulted in a thinner floor profile, increasing ceiling heights and creating more spacious youth friendly environments throughout the building.

Eco-friendly Metal Wrap panels were used to clad the building enclosure with an efficient and carbon conscious material. Since a concrete structure was dictated by pandemic constraints, this cladding system was used to insulate the rainscreen façade. All the materials used in this project focused on resiliency to ensure the building would have limited maintenance/replacement costs for at least 60 years. Structurally exposed concrete finishes are featured throughout, and except for the wood gymnasium floor, there are no manufactured flooring products used in the project. 

The building is a closed system with high Merv filtration to ensure high quality air for occupants; utilizes local filters in the bottle filling stations and the green roof is designed with robust local species to thrive on rainwater. The programmatic design focuses on using natural light along with LEDs/motion sensors to ensure natural light can be used during most operating hours. The indoor spaces are designed to be thermally and acoustically stable so that the users can focus on their activities without distraction, and the design of each floor incorporates break out and comfort spaces for the kids to relax and hang out with one another outside of the programed activities. Many spaces are designed to be used for multifunctional purposes, seamlessly blending into the circulation zones and ensuring that the vitality of the programing is always part of the entire building.

Throughout the preconstruction and value engineering process, BEAR worked closely with its trade partners to ensure the viability of delivering the project within the aggressive schedule required as well as tight budget constraints. To ensure strict adherence with the project design and client’s program needs, BEAR and its trade partners participated in a full gamut of 3D BIM coordination of all the building systems and components. Utilizing Procore’s construction management software, the design team worked closely together daily for the coordination of submittals, shop drawings and RFI’s to ensure a seamless construction process. Throughout construction, BEAR met with trade partners on site and conducted coordination meetings, pull planning sessions and enacted other lean construction practices that drove the success of the project. For project closeout, BEAR worked closely with BGCC and its staff regarding building system commissioning and conducted multiple end-user training sessions to ensure a smooth building operation from the very first day of public use.

There are a few notable achievements regarding the above and beyond nature of teamwork on this project. First, LEED Silver certification for the project was achieved despite the goal never being included in the original specifications. The project was built on a shared campus with two other projects being concurrently built by several ownership entities and different contractors. Despite adding logistical and coordination challenges, all projects were successfully completed with a sense of camaraderie and respect. Lastly, the successful coordination between BEAR and its trade partners to fundraise and negotiate reduced pricing and material donations rose to championship levels and directly contributed to delivering the project within budget.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago are arguably one of the most impactful forces of good in some of Chicago’s most underserved communities. This club provides a safe space for the children of Austin and West Garfield, and does so with features and amenities normally found only in more affluent neighborhoods in the City. From site selection and precon through final design, there was a strong initiative to define the needs of the Austin neighborhood with each step, and every decision was filtered with those parameters in mind. Resources, budget and community needs were analyzed through a participatory approach that leveraged local assets to directly generate project opportunities. Through several community outreach events coordinated by Alderman Emma Mitts and attended by local organizers, BEAR, its project partners and community members were genuinely involved in the planning and execution of the project. These partnerships allowed the project to far exceed the City of Chicago MBE/WBE hiring goals as well as local area resident hiring requirements. Importantly, over 10,000 labor hours, or roughly 20% of the project’s total hours, were performed by residents of the Austin neighborhood and immediately adjacent City wards.

BEAR and the design team worked closely with the BGCC youth council to provide tours during several stages of construction, providing a learning experience for future club members and students. These tours not only showcased the construction activities and the professions in those fields, but also exposed the youth to A/E/C career paths. Katherine Darnstadt, Founding Principal of Latent Design, shared what female minority leadership in the design profession can look like. During these construction tours, Alderman Mitts spoke of developing a renewed sense of pride and hope in their neighborhood that would be advanced with this project. Alderman Mitts was an instrumental partner through the life of the project, as were members of the newly built Joint Public Safety Training Center, located on the campus. A main BGCC driver to selecting the site was its proximity to the new Public Safety facility, providing the opportunity for daily interaction between the Chicago Police and Fire Departments with the neighborhood kids and parents to build trust and communication between the groups at a truly grass roots level.  “Not only does the Rusu-McCartin Boys & Girls Club provide a safe and educational space for West Side youth, but it is also a place for relationship-building, listening and collaboration. We are deliberately choosing to no longer be bound by the barriers that divide us. This Club is a shining example of how bold ideas can shape our shared future.” – 37th Ward Alderwoman Emma Mitts

BEAR believes in a ‘SAFETY FIRST – SAFETY ALWAYS’ approach to the construction process. We maintain a superior safety program that complies with and often exceeds OSHA and industry standard safety regulations. In addition to the typical safety meetings, tool box talks and safety stand downs, BEAR’s projects are audited with zero notice on a regular basis by a third-party safety evaluation service and reports are distributed to all team members. During the run of this project, BEAR utilized the services of Assurance Agency to perform those regular safety audits to secure the safety of the project and surrounding community.

As a standard operating procedure, BEAR provides project and task specific instruction to ensure that all project stakeholders have the proper tools, training and knowledge in place to ensure we meet all standards and provide the safest working environment possible. Demonstrating the success of this approach, there were zero recordable incidents with over 50,000 labor hours worked on the project.

The Chicago Joint Public Safety Training Campus (JPSTC) is a new state of the art infrastructure project that serves the City’s continued efforts to provide comprehensive, joint, best practice training for the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

As part of the conversations to reimagine the 30+ acre site of shuttered warehouses and vacant land, an opportunity emerged to enhance the JPSTC and ultimately reconceptualize the role of a public safety training campus within an urban setting. As a result, the PBC and their design-build team embarked on a mission to create a single-story sit-down restaurant, a single-story fast casual restaurant, and a public plaza with art.

The two restaurants and public plaza parcel were designed around the common places for the Academy users to organically live alongside the community, regularly encountering residents and youth in the neighborhood in de-escalated, everyday interactions.

The Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) began its management of this project by soliciting proposals for design-build services using a two-phase procurement process which entailed requests for qualifications, technical requirements and cost proposals. The first phase closed with a shortlist of two teams. The evaluation committee, which included staff from both the PBC and Chicago Department of Fleet Facility Management (2FM), conducted interviews with each of the shortlisted firms. By consensus, the committee recommended the appointment of BOWA Construction, an MBE-certified firm, to provide design-build services for the project. The design-build team featured Architect of Record, Latent Design Corporation, an MBE-certified firm, working alongside Engage Civil, Inc., and CCJM Engineers, Ltd., both MBE firms.    

The design-build team implemented several methods and processes to ensure the quality of the project. Clear lines of communication and decision making were established early. Skilled staff, licensed professionals, and industry experts were utilized to guide design decisions prior to any implementation. Before ground was broken, team meetings were conducted to establish goals, timeframes, and to explicitly define scope of work. All subcontractors met with Bowa Construction and PBC for pre-installation meetings to ensure quality craftsmanship. During all phases of construction, project stakeholders were present to observe and ensure technical performance, competence and quality. Independent testing was also conducted to ensure material and workmanship met project specifications.

The reimagination of the 30+ acre site of an old railroad yard in the West Garfield neighborhood expands the City’s ability to prepare for new and emerging threats through joint-training exercises. The overall investment includes a Boys and Girls Club, two African American owned restaurants (Peaches and Culvers), a public plaza with art and the training complex which includes outdoor scenario structures. The comprehensive development enhances the neighborhood by fostering social connection, providing a venue for community engagement, and contributing to the local economy ultimately creating a more vibrant and cohesive living environment. 

The design of the Phase 1A site is highly urban with buildings pushed to the north to meet Chicago Avenue. The spacing between each of the volumes creates two public plazas, accessible by foot, for users of the community center, restaurant patrons, Academy cadets and other passersby to gather. Vehicular access is facilitated through a central road which links to the Culver’s drive through to the east. The vehicle parking along the south meets tenant user requirements for building and parking use.

The project scope for Phase 1A included core shell construction and limited interior buildout of two restaurant tenants (Peaches and Culver), site remediation, Public Right of Way improvements and associated site development (artwork, landscaping, courtyard amenities, site lighting, etc.). 

Known for its comfort food, Peach’s is one of two dining options on the site. The Peach’s restaurant building is a single-story sit-down restaurant with no drive-through service. Unique to this location on Chicago Avenue, the restaurant aims to form partnerships with community organizations through its shared teaching kitchen and its ‘farm to table’ initiative. The restaurant plans to promote art, cooking and agricultural programs facilitated through its outdoor garden and interior spaces. Peach’s has also committed to maintaining a publicly-accessible outdoor dining area.

The Culver’s restaurant is located on the far east edge of the site – with a building that encloses the shared outdoor dining area to the west and provides direct access for vehicles with its drive-through service on the east. The Culver’s restaurant building is a single-story structure designated as a fast casual restaurant. The franchise has committed to using this location to benefit the community by liaising with community organizations, hiring locally and showcasing Chicago artists within its walls. Like its neighbor, Culver’s has also committed to maintaining the outdoor dining area.

The campus weaves artwork and public space within the program to encourage activity and interaction. The campus’ highly urban configuration is porous in nature – with three modestly scaled buildings that meet Chicago Avenue with in-between spaces designed to receive pedestrians. With appropriate space allocated for restaurant drive-throughs and car parking tucked to the south, vehicles are provided with unobstructed access to the site. The retaining wall on the southern edge seamlessly mitigates the grade transition from Phase 2. Its aesthetic qualities makes it an eye catching backdrop behind the public plazas, who’s lush landscaping and artwork invite cadets and local community members to socialize in the same setting while ensuring operational security between phases

The vacation of the existing Kostner Avenue intersection creates a natural entry and exit from the Phase1A site. From Chicago Avenue into the Phase1A site, Kostner Avenue has become a beautified pedestrian street and acts as the welcome entry for the community into the Joint Public Safety Training Campus. Continuing along the streetscape, there are two paved plaza spaces with decorative landscaping: one between the Academy and the Boys and Girls Club (dubbed “Public Plaza”) and one between the new Peach’s Restaurant and Culver’s buildings (dubbed “Dining Plaza”). Walking paths are provided throughout the site to provide access to building entrances, parking lot, and plazas. Sidewalk and accessible curb ramps are designed to current CDOT requirements. 

The project was able to reduce the original amount of parking by 25% which will allow for the function of each restaurant and the Boys and Girls Club, but also allocate more area on site for green space and pedestrian use. 

The variety of activities facilitated by the academy and the site’s new tenants has made the Joint Public Safety Training Campus an attractive meeting place for the local community.

Alderman Emma Mitts, whose 37th Ward includes the JPSTC, said in a statement, “The facility is attracting businesses like Culver’s and Peach’s restaurants and organizations like the Boys and Girls Club to our neighborhood, ensuring more job opportunities for our residents. The new facility will create a much-needed corridor of new businesses, jobs and better housing.”

At the Phase 1A project inception, the site was designed around common places for the Academy users to organize and did not include restaurants or spaces for community residents to interact. By working with neighborhood stakeholders, the design build team facilitated several public engagement events with local residents and community members. Together they crafted an aspirational vision to create a catalyst for economic growth which incorporated two African American owned restaurants and public gathering spaces that invited interaction with community members as a step toward building trust and mutual understanding.

The design build team considered the surrounding community as a partner in the design. Together, they crafted a vision based on transparency and rebuilding the relationships between residents and the City of Chicago’s public safety departments. Neighborhood stakeholders were included as the design evolved, creating excitement and a sense of ownership in the process and a positive, welcoming outcome for residents. 

Using a participatory approach, stakeholders were provided with opportunities for open dialogue and a platform to voice their opinion and concerns. The process gave youth and community members a seat at the table, which informed design decision and helped to expand ownership of the project.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, the community engagement strategy consisted of ten digital workshop sessions with various groups of stakeholders. Participants were asked to share their perspectives about various project features to both inform the design and expand ownership of the project.

In addition, cadets were asked about what a “day in the life” is like at the Academy and how they spend their time before and after training to further understand how the restaurants, outdoor plaza and outdoor dining area will be used during training sessions.

As a result, 30+ acres site, which had been vacant for the last 40 years, is teaming with opportunities for local residents while simultaneously jump starting the local economy, creating 100 neighborhood jobs, a corridor of new businesses and improved housing options.

Dining option will be provided by the Peach’s and Culvers restaurants, who are not only committed to the maintenance of the outdoor plaza, but will also promote local employment, art and gardening and cooking programs among others.

“The new location will have about 100 seats and will be smack dead in the middle of the new training facility, making it an ideal place to eat for employees and trainees at the center,” Cliff Rome Peach’s Restaurant owner told the Chicago Business Journal.

“This restaurant will be 4,300 square feet and will have a double drive-thru. And the plan is to hire as many people from the community as possible,” said Culver’s franchisee owner Baron Waller. 

In addition, the PBC and the design-build team worked to maximize minority business involvement and community workforce opportunities and substantially exceeded the minority participation requirements established by the City of Chicago with minority laborers at 108.34%; minority apprentice at 83%; female apprentice at 48.56%; and community hiring at 18.42%. Of the 320 total employees, 25 were community hires coming from the immediate project area. 

The PBC believes that Chicago’s architecture and urban designs should reflect the dynamic nature of the City. The PBC and the design build teams early collaboration with key community stakeholders has yielded a diversity of design approaches to Phase 1A, which in turn has promoted innovation, creativity and sustainable strategies constructed with high quality materials and state of the art construction methods.

Safety is a top priority for the PBC and its contractors. The Design Build team, reported zero lost-time incidents in the construction of this project—the result of excellent teamwork, supervision and adherence to safety regulations. All subcontractors were required to provide a written copy of their safety program which was kept on site for the duration of the project, and full PPE was required on site at all times. Subcontractors conducted daily Task Hazard Analyses to identify any potential hazards in each day’s activities and to review how to perform these tasks in a safe manner. Each week, subcontractors gave “Toolbox Talks,” brief, fifteen-minute reviews on how to mitigate potential hazards in each trade. At the start of construction, Bowa Construction employed an outside safety consultant. Once construction was underway, the team hired a full-time, on-site Safety Manager to keep up with the needs of the project.

The success of this project’s safety record is especially noteworthy given the COVID-19 regulations and the accelerated schedule, which required the contractors and their subs to work overtime and on weekends to maintain the fast-paced schedule, ensuring that the new facility opened on time. 

This center holistically supports a community just outside of Chicago and is an anchor for future revitalization.  The center provides areas for fitness, community gatherings, mental health support and after school programming on an urban site. 

The design expresses much of its program along the active street to the north, encouraging membership and inclusion while taking advantage of the indirect light.  A three-level lobby immerses visitors in the heart of the facility, surrounded by diverse program offerings. 

The facility is designed to be net zero energy through an expansive photovoltaic array and a tight exterior calibrated to its solar orientation. 

Our project is designed with a strong focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. The high-performance curtain wall system not only covers significant square footage of the building but also plays a crucial role in reducing energy consumption. The metal panel envelope, devoid of exterior sheeting, surpasses standard building codes, ensuring superior efficiency in building operations. 

Our commitment to energy efficiency extends to the HVAC system with a VRF system that boasts high performance and efficiency. Additionally, the entire building is equipped with high-performance insulation, providing double the R-value for enhanced thermal efficiency. 

To harness the power of natural resources, the roof, satellite parking structure, and south awning are outfitted with solar panels, maximizing energy capture from the sun. We’ve integrated an emergency battery system that is entirely solar-powered, demonstrating our dedication to sustainable and resilient energy solutions. 

At the Community Recreation Center, inclusivity is at the core of our design and services. We have implemented floor-to-ceiling walls for restroom stalls and changing rooms to provide privacy and comfort for all individuals. In addition, we’ve allocated an entire wing on the second floor specifically dedicated to mental health and community support, emphasizing the importance of holistic well-being for everyone. 

Our community room is an open space accessible to the public, available for scheduling functions by anyone in the community. This inclusive approach encourages a diverse range of activities and events that cater to the varied interests of our residents. 

The walking track, a complimentary amenity for all Oak Park residents, is a testament to our commitment to community health. We collaborate with local districts to host after-school programs, ensuring that the benefits of our facilities extend to all age groups and backgrounds. 

Recognizing the growing popularity of esports, we’ve established a dedicated E-sports room for computer gaming enthusiasts, fostering a sense of community among this dynamic and diverse group.

Understanding the needs of families, we’ve incorporated a childcare facility to provide convenience and accessibility for parents utilizing our recreation center. 

Moreover, our commitment to diversity extends to our construction process, with 30% minority participation for subcontractors. This not only enhances the local economy but also ensures that our project benefits from a wealth of perspectives and expertise. 

In summary, our recreation center is designed to be a welcoming and inclusive space, catering to the diverse needs and interests of our community. Through thoughtful planning and community engagement, we aim to create a space that truly reflects the richness and diversity of Oak Park. 

The project experienced 0 OSHA recordable incidents. 

Berglund’s renovation of the Museum of Science and Industry’s East Pavilion is a testament to collaborative innovation. Spanning 75,000 sqft, the project involved a complete overhaul of MEPFP systems, RTU installation, and exhibit supports, culminating in a striking new look. Our team’s synergy with the exhibit installation crew was crucial, paving the way for the Blue Paradox exhibit. This immersive experience delves into the ocean’s depths, highlighting the dichotomy of plastic use: its role in societal advancement and its devastating environmental impact. Our project’s focus: To prepare a space that fosters awareness and inspires action against this pressing global issue.

This project depended on communication and coordination between the general contractor, museum, and exhibit vendors. The construction process was renovating the existing east pavilion at MSI in which an entire new electronic exhibit would be installed. MEPFP requirements were reviewed in detail for not only their specifications but their precise locations so that the new exhibit pieces had the proper infrastructure. This entailed numerous design and construction coordination meetings.

The Blue Paradox Exhibit at MSI considers how ocean waste is impacting life on earth, specifically via our oceans. The exhibit welcomes not only the surrounding Chicago community, but MSI hosts numerous patrons nationwide. This exhibit was donated by S.C. Johnson Company to bring awareness to the general public that plastic waste can be properly recycled. Ultimately, since S.C. Johnson is one of the largest distributors of plastic containers, it was named the Blue Paradox.

No reportable injuries on-site. Despite working numerous double-shifts and weekends, the crew was able to complete the job on time and safely for MSI’s opening during the July 4th holiday weekend.