Hunzinger Construction Company is proud that two of our notable projects from the past year have been recognized by the Milwaukee Business Journal with 2015 Real Estate Awards. In all, 17 projects will be honored as part of their upcoming annual real estate awards program. At this time, the Milwaukee Business Journal is announcing honorees in this year’s program, the first-place winners and the “Project of the Year” will be announced during an awards luncheon to honor all the winners on April 17 at The Pfister Hotel. All of the winners will be profiled in the Milwaukee Business Journal’s April 17 issue.
Hunzinger is a winner for its work at the new office space built by Johnson Controls Inc. in a former Sam’s Club on Hawley Road in West Allis. The property is owned by Renaissance Faire II, LLC and was developed by Van Buren Management, Inc. Hunzinger was the Construction Manager for this 130,000 square foot interior build out project completed in just 5 months. Eppstein Uhen Architects, Milwaukee, were the project designers.
This new Hawley Road Facility houses employees from a number of different administrative functions within Johnson Controls, all working towards bringing greater administrative efficiencies to their company. The two-level project includes a functional reception area, state-of-the-art work stations, and multiple conference rooms including smaller focus (one person) rooms, team rooms (accommodating 8-10 people) and larger conference rooms and workshops for 40+ people or more. The project also includes a modern kitchen and multiple “recharge” break room areas with microwaves, a coffee bistro area, multiple restroom facilities and storage.
This was an extremely fast-tracked project, completed in just 5 months. Hunzinger mobilized on the site in the middle of May, bringing on subcontractors almost immediately. Initial demolition was completed by working two shifts but within weeks, the crews had transitioned to their regular 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day schedule which continued until the project’s completion on October 17th. Hunzinger self-performed demolition, concrete and rough and finish carpentry.
The second distinguished project Hunzinger completed is the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Grohmann Tower located at 1150 North Water Street, Milwaukee, WI. The most amazing aspect of this project is the incredible speed in which it was completed, from idea to completion, it was less than 10 months with the actual construction taking place over just 17 weeks.
In the fall of 2013, MSOE purchased the Staybridge Suites which stood unfinished and almost entirely vacant since 2009, when financial problems halted construction of the planned hotel. The site remained dormant while a long legal battle ensued as contractors and lenders fought to recover money from the failed project.
Dr. Hermann Viets, President of MSOE, had the vision to see this vacant, unfinished and deteriorating property as an opportunity to address the university’s shortage of onsite quality housing for students. The Board of Regents acted quickly and hired Uihlein Wilson Architects, located in downtown Milwaukee, as the project architect for this very complex conversion that was part renovation and part new construction. Hunzinger was hired shortly thereafter as construction manager on The Grohmann Tower. Hunzinger self-performed needed demolition and all concrete and rough and finish carpentry work. The reality of the project schedule actually shaped a team whose work reflected a design/build delivery system and required the project designers, engineers, construction manager and subcontractors to work seamlessly as a unit, focused on the September 1, 2014 completion date.
