Creating a new standard for urban hotels, theWit, located at the historic intersection of State and Lake streets in downtown Chicago, is a groundbreaking achievement. Like the powerful yellow lightning bolt on the front façade of the property, innovation strikes at every turn at theWit. PHOTO COURTESY OF theWIT Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The $62-million high-rise construction project took place on a very narrow lot. The design called for extra-thick concrete slabs and shear walls were located to keep the interior of the building as open as possible in order to maximize event space. The building

This multi-purpose arena in Toledo, Ohio, will be home for hockey, arena football, select basketball tournaments and various concert/special events. The 270,000-sq-ft arena has 8,500 fixed seats, 20 suites in the club seating level, and is expected to be one of the nation’s first LEED-certified sports arena. Photo: © Fentress Photography Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards Built on a brownfield site, the new arena shows the county’s commitment to revitalizing Toledo’s Warehouse District. Overall, the new arena, which is seeking LEED Silver certification, provides 39.2% fossil fuel use reduction and 28.3% energy cost savings. The arena’s signature

The Milwaukee City Hall Exterior Restoration was a complex $65.9-million project of dismantling and reassembling a National Historic Landmark. The building’s exterior envelope – brick, terra cotta, stone, copper, and slate – had all been severely compromised by Milwaukee’s harsh climate and the lack of regular and appropriate maintenance for more than a century. The challenge was to discover how and where water had worked its way into the building, the long-term damage to the surface and structure over time, and what measures needed to be taken to effectively stabilize the structure and re-create the precise look and feel of

The $7.2-million new Montgomery Village Hall is a 22,000-sq-ft facility set into a sloping site overlooking the Fox River. The village’s board of trustees selected the location to demonstrate the village’s commitment to the development of a new village center. Photo: © BRIAN FRITZ PHOTOGRAPHY Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The site is designed to foster community gatherings and activities such as the annual Montgomeryfest. The building’s exterior design reflects the community’s riverfront location and history. The stone arches of its facade reflect the community’s heritage by recalling the old bridges spanning the river. Key Players Owner:

Muchin College Prep, a campus of the Noble Network of Charter Schools, is the first high school in Chicago’s Loop and also the Midwest’s first high school in a high-rise. Photo: © HEDRICH-BLESSING Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards Muchin College Prep, a campus of the Noble Network of Charter Schools, is the first high school in Chicago’s Loop and also the Midwest’s first high school in a high-rise. Key Players Owner: Noble Network of Charter Schools, Chicago General Contractor: Bulley & Andrews LLC, Chicago Design Firm: Wheeler Kearns Architects, Chicago Located on the seventh floor of the

The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago celebrated its 75th anniversary with the announcement of two new, large, and technologically advanced exhibits. The existing HVAC was insufficient, so a water-cooled electric chiller was needed to handle the increased cooling load. Drawing courtesy of McGuire Engineers Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The museum outlined three main criteria for an upgraded central cooling plant: First, it had to be able to cool the existing load and also have room for future expansion. Second, it had to be able to be installed in phases. Third, it had to be

155 North Wacker is a new 48-story, 1.38-million-sq-ft Class A office tower on the northeast corner of Wacker Drive and Randolph Street in downtown Chicago. Photo courtesy Goettsch Partners Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The project is already pre-certified LEED-CS Silver by the USGBC. In addition to offering a technology-enabled infrastructure and efficient floor plates with no interior columns, the building features a covered exterior arcade, a two-story, glass-enclosed lobby, and dedicated tenant amenities including conference and fitness centers, as well as underground parking for 163 cars. Key Players Owner: The John Buck Co., Chicago General Contractor:

Novus International Inc. undertook a $15.6-million expansion and renovation of its facility, which was originally built in 1994 at the Missouri Research Park in St. Charles, Mo. Photo: COURTESY OF CARDINAL AVIATION Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The recent project constructed 48,000 sq ft of new offices and research labs. It also renovated 42,000 sq ft of existing laboratory, office and conference space. The new office building has an open environment with two levels connected by a double-height communication zone where all common functions are located. This office space is connected to the research facility by a

Old Post Office Plaza is a new $4.65-million park that adds a new dimension to downtown St. Louis. Photo: © Fentress Photography Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards Replacing a former parking lot in the heart of downtown, Old Post Office Plaza includes an open space for performances, a stage, tiered seating and a wall for video displays. It also incorporates extensive landscaping and features water cascading over a bronze sculpture. The theme of the 30,000-sq-ft multipurpose urban plaza follows the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus escaping from the island of Patmos. The plaza’s centerpiece is the

Parkview Tower West integrates a 48-story, 268-unit residential tower with a new urban park at the corner of McClurg Court and Illinois Street in Chicago. Photo © Steinkamp Photography Related Links: Midwest Constructions Best of 2009 Awards The building’s curved shape and glass curtainwalls gives spectacular views to residents of all six units on each floor.The southeast corner of Parkview Tower West sits on concrete columns over a large passageway that leads pedestrians to the park’s communal outdoor spaces. Key Players Owner: MCL Cos., Chicago General Contractor: Power Construction Co., Schaumburg, Ill. Design Firm: Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Chicago The park