The renovations of Union's College Park Hall won MLB Construction Services, L.L.C. of Malta the “Build New York Award” from General Building Contractors (GBC) of New York State, Inc. A reception and award presentation at the winning site honored the construction team Monday, Nov. 6.
MLB successfully managed and choreographed the execution of $10 million worth of renovations, demolitions and new construction of the former Ramada to win for the third time in the 15-year history of the competition.
Doug Brown, vice president for construction and services at MLB said “this particular award held special meaning because of the remarkable challenges the project team had to overcome and the firm's unique connection to Union.” MLB was formed in 1947 by John McManus, Frederick Longe and Donald Brockwehl, civil engineering graduates of Union's class of 1942. Executive Vice President Bryan F. Fox '79 also received a civil engineering degree from the College and current President and CEO Thomas M. Eckert '78 received his Master's in Industrial Administration from Union.
MLB won the Renovation Project award category in tandem with Design-Build partner James McKinney of Sacco + McKinney Architects for bringing the 1970s hotel up to code in time to accommodate a growing housing crunch at Union. Ongoing collaboration and communication between the College and the Design-Build team involved 12 building trades and 64,277 hours of manpower to complete College Park Hall, which is now home to 260 Union College students.
The students reside in 170 spacious bedrooms with private bathrooms and enjoy all the requisite amenities including study lounges, meeting rooms, laundry facilities, a game room, a fitness/exercise room and coffee bar. The fully refurbished kitchen, services area, dining room and ballroom accommodates conferences, banquets and special functions. The College's Security and Parking Services Departments are also based in the complex.
The Build New York Awards program was started in 1990 by GBC to portray the positive impact of the construction industry in New York State and to enhance the reputation of its general contractor and construction manager members. The awards emphasize the construction team including the owner, architect, engineer, subcontractors, suppliers and craftspeople who contribute to the success of the project.