Oct 12 2011

San Antonio Military Medical Center complete

Since Clark/Hunt, a Joint Venture, first broke ground on the San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) in March of 2009, the Texas city has been eagerly awaiting the new building. Now complete, it represents the largest military hospital in the United States.

There are four entities to SAMMC: the Central Energy Plant, which is 50,000 square feet; the Consolidated Parking Structure, containing 5,000 parking spaces; the Consolidated Tower, coming in at 750,000 square feet; and the renovation of the existing hospital, which is now 350,000 square feet. The project team also built a new helipad on top of the consolidated tower. During construction, the existing hospital and helipad remained fully functional, and Clark/Hunt made it a priority to coordinate their work around what was happening with the in-use hospital.

One of the most incredible components of the hospital is the burn unit. It is one of the largest in the United States, and when construction is completed, it will be among the top burn units in the world. Military patients come to the medical center from the war, and the majority of soldiers that have been burned are patients at the existing hospital, and will be patients at SAMMC. The project team re-vamped the existing burn unit, increasing the square footage by 82,000 square feet.
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Mar 1 2011

Play ball! Ed Smith Stadium opens its doors

Orioles fans have a lot to be excited about today with the renovation of Ed Smith Stadium now complete. The facility hosted its first spring training game today against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Hunt Mathews/Taylor JV team completed their Port Charlotte spring training facility, Charlotte Sports Park, in early January 2009.

Work began on the facility last June after the spring training season ended. Thanks to the expertise of the Hunt Construction Group, Inc. and W.G. Mills team, as well as the design team, the project completed right on time for this year’s season.

After a short rain delay, the ribbon cutting ceremony got underway. The event was emceed by Gary Thorne and featured Andy MacPhail, city and county officials and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce. There was also a tribute to long-time Orioles umpire attendant Ernie Tyler who passed away in early February at the age of 86.

The opening of Ed Smith Stadium marks the beginning of a new journey for the stadium as the Cincinnati Reds move out and the Orioles move into their new home. The Reds called Ed Smith Stadium home for 11 years from 1998 to 2009.
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Feb 18 2011

Hunt team successfully completes JW Marriott Indianapolis

Hunt Construction Group is proud to have joined White Lodging and The City of Indianapolis in celebrating the February 4 opening of the new JW Marriott Indianapolis. The Hunt team and partners Mezzetta Construction Services, Inc., Smoot Construction and Finch Constructors, Inc. worked together to deliver the world’s largest JW Marriott. The impressive facility completes the Marriott Place development project occupying seven acres along the west side of downtown Indianapolis.

Hunt began work on the $450 million complex in May 2008 with CSO Architects and HOK Group on the design side. The Marriott Place Indianapolis is made up of a collection of five Marriott properties offering unprecedented options for business and leisure travelers. In addition to the new JW Marriott Indianapolis, the complex includes the Courtyard by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Indianapolis Downtown and the Marriott Indianapolis Downtown, making a total of 2,248 rooms.
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Jan 18 2011

Ed Smith Stadium reaches top of the ninth

Hunt Construction Group, with local firm W.G. Mills, is nearing the end of renovation construction for Ed Smith Stadium. The facility features new amenities such as triple the amount of concession stands, shaded awnings, new entrance with full field view, air conditioned deli and retail store, garden area, 100 additional toilets and urinals and numerous television monitors.

The largest structural change to the ballpark is the addition of the second-floor concourse. This area features all the usual amenities associated with a modern-day ballpark. Arches have been added to the two-story façade and a 35,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art clubhouse has been constructed to give the facility some extra space. Also, a 9,000-square-foot office suite has been added on to the existing press box to bring life and activity to the facility year-round.

Gone are the old blue seats in favor of refurbished dark green seats from Camden Yards. Not only is the move a cost saver but it’s a sustainable one as well. Additionally, a 7-foot-high outfield wall is being added to give the facility that classic ballpark feel complete with the potential for the classic wall jump catch.
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Oct 15 2010

Amway Center Contractor Appreciation Event

On September 28, a contractor appreciation event was held at the new Amway Center (home of NBA’s Orlando Magic). All of the workers were invited along with family and friends to see the fruits of their hard labor over the past two years. Nearly 5,000 attendees were treated to food and beverages, and received a commemorative video of the construction phase of the project.

Project Vice President, Scott Blanchard along with the Orlando Magic’s President, Alex Martins and City of Orlando Mayor, Buddy Dyer personally addressed the crowd with high praise and appreciation for a job certainly well done. Amway Center celebrated its groundbreaking on July 25, 2008 and officially opened its doors on October 1. The first ticketed event was a Vicente Fernández concert on October 8. The Orlando Magic hosted their first preseason game at Amway Center on October 10 against the New Orleans Hornets when they won by a historic margin of 54 points.

Hunt Construction Group, In Association with Rey Group, R.L. Burns Inc., HZ Construction Inc. and Albu & Associates as well as architect Populous, congratulates all involved in making this landmark project for City of Orlando, the Orlando Magic and fans a great success.
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Aug 23 2010

UofL Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium ready for kickoff

Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium began its upgrade in December 2008 and is now ready to show off what it has to offer as the season opener approaches. The renovation has sparked excitement with fans with season-ticket sales exceeding University of Louisville’s 40,000-ticket goal.

Completed this month by Hunt alongside design firm Luckett & Farley, the stadium now features nearly 13,000 additional seats consisting of 33 suites, 1,730 loge seats, 10,400 chairback seats in the upper deck and a new south terrace area open to everyone in the stadium.  PJCS is the only on-campus stadium to utilize all-chairback seating. With the upgrades, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium can now accommodate more than 55,000 people.

The suites and loge seats open into the 20,000-square-foot PNC Club extending from end zone to end zone. The area features lounge seating, a full-service bar and concessions. Unlike the west side of the stadium, glass walls were built on the east side to allow fans a view of the field at all times while making their way from one end to the other.
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Aug 4 2010

Consol Energy Center Earns LEED® Gold Certification

The new home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins just received it’s LEED® Gold certification on the day of substantial completion. This achievement makes Consol Energy Center the first NHL arena in the U.S. with this distinction – something that should make the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh proud.

Built by construction manager P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture and designed by architect Populous, only facilities that are energy efficient, reduce waste and use recycled materials are awarded such a certification.

Designed to ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house, the 735,000-square-foot Consol Energy Center stands out from the rest with many unique and upscale features. These include a mix of black and gold seats to give that Pittsburgh feel, a four-sided, 70,000-pound scoreboard, 66 suites, 32 loge boxes and a beautiful view of the Golden Triangle visible from the upper concourse.

Other features of the facility include 795 HD IPTVs throughout the facility, 386 toilets and urinals, two levels of concourses to ease congestion, east and west main concourse clubs, Lexus Club on suite level and an upscale club on the upper concourse. Additionally, there is a team store, seating for 18,000 for hockey, 19,100 for basketball and 20,000 for concerts and over 150 scheduled events per year.

Fans will have many opportunities to explore the new facility in the coming months. In August the Penguins are hosting a series of open houses with the first invitation-only grand opening taking place this Friday. Season ticket holders will have their chance to explore on August 14 and 15.

On August 28, the general public will get their first peek. Starting August 12, the box office will offer $5 tickets with proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The first game will take place on September 22 with a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Completed on schedule and within budget, the P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture team has a lot to be proud of. Consol Energy Center has set new standards in NHL facility construction and a big thanks goes out to all the dedicated employees and trades who made this project possible.


Mar 22 2010

Idaho State Capitol Restoration Complete

The Idaho State Capitol, originally constructed in 1920 and modeled after our nation’s capitol building in Washington D.C., has stood as a symbol of justice and pride for the lawmakers and residents of Idaho for 80 years. But, by the late 90s, time had taken its toll on the 1920s-era building. In 2006 the Idaho Legislature authorized the Capitol Commission and Department of Administration to enter into agreements with the Idaho State Building Authority (ISBA) to finance the $85 million restoration and the underground wings addition to the Capitol building.

Hunt Construction Group along with our joint venture partner Jacobsen Construction (the joint venture team who recently completed the Utah State Capitol Restoration) began construction on the capitol project in the summer of 2007. The scope of the project included upgrades to the 257,000 -square-foot Idaho State Capitol building, including new MEP systems, as well as tenant improvements to the 50,000 -square-foot Garden Wings that were added to the east and west sides of the building.

Completed ahead of schedule and under budget, the Jacobsen-Hunt team upgraded every major function of the building including its strength, stability, climate-control, and life-safety systems. Some of the most significant upgrades in the building are hidden behind the walls, ceilings, and floors. However, visitors will be most impressed with the stately and grand appearance of the updated public areas.
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Feb 22 2010

Expansion at Philadelphia International Airport Opens

Southwest Airlines joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter and other dignitaries February 16th at a ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening Southwest’s new home in Terminal E at PHL. Recently completed by Hunt Construction Group, the $45 million Terminal E Expansion features seven new aircraft gates, a 500-seat holding area, new restrooms, a mini-food court with new concessions, and a fantastic new piece of permanent artwork installed as part of the City’s Percent for Art Program.

“This new facility, that now allows us to operate out of one concourse, is a wonderful example of both Southwest Airlines and the City of Philadelphia working together in a public-private partnership to enhance air travel for the entire City,” stated Bob Montgomery, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Properties. “I know all of our hard-working Southwest Employees here in Philadelphia can’t wait to continue providing our legendary Customer Service from our new home in Terminal E.”

During the ceremony, Montgomery also announced a new and exciting destination for Philadelphians. Beginning June 27, 2010, the carrier is starting new service between Philadelphia and Boston Logan (BOS). Southwest will start with five daily nonstops between the two cities.
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