The
Newsletter St. Cloud Area School District NEW TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL Anoka County CENTENNIAL LIBRARY
F&C Top Project
Hutchinson Public Schools HIGH SCHOOL Service Cooperatives Corner ICS PARTNERS WITH METRO ECSU Special Feature RE-OPENING SCHOOLS IN A COVID-19 WORLD
Photo credit: ©LEO A DALY | Corey Gaffer Photography
I C S - B U I L D S .C O M
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THANK YOU TEACHERS
Although planning is at the core of what we do, the past few months showed us that even the best plans can suddenly change. Although the world is experiencing significant changes to the way we live and work, ICS is still focused on building strong and meaningful connections. We may do things slightly different now than before, but our mission, as always, remains to positively impact the people and communities around us. It’s no secret - we’re advocates for public education, and if there was ever a time to acknowledge the importance and value of good educators, it’s now. With school closures impacting hundreds of thousands of students across the country, our public educators and district staff are stepping up in big ways and remain shining lights through these times. Words cannot express the crucial role that educators play in the lives of our students. We want to say THANK YOU to those people who dedicate their lives to shaping the minds of future generations! In this issue of IMPACT, we highlight Anoka County Centennial Library, recently named as a Finance & Commerce top projects of 2019 honoree. We also highlight the state-of-the art facilities at the new St. Cloud Technical High School and Hutchinson Public Schools. Our hope is that, by providing our expertise in project development, construction, building commissioning and more, we can help you focus on what you’re good at – leading your districts and educating students. As we move forward in 2020, life may look significantly different, but ICS is still ready to help turn your facility dreams into a reality. For more information, you can reach me at jeff.schiltz@ics-builds.com or 218-348-0751.
Jeff Schiltz Principal ICS
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CONTENTS Hutchinson Public Schools - High School
4
Anoka County Centennial Library
8
Special Feature: Reopening Schools in a COVID-19 World
12
Service Cooperatives Corner: ICS and Metro ECSU Partner Together
13
St. Cloud Area School District - New Tech High School
14
#TeamICS Spotlight: Sauk Rapids
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Hutchinson Public Schools
HIGH SCHOOL
A
fresh START
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At the heart of Hutchinson Public Schools, you’ll find a humble Minnesota sense of pride. In November 2015, the community voted and passed a $44.95 million referendum to provide major additions and renovations to the high school including additional classroom space,
safety, security, accessibility improvements, and technology enhancements to create a hands-on learning environment. Known as TigerPath Academies, this program serves as a bridge connecting students to their education and real-life experiences to focus on discovering talent, developing skills, and building careers through STREAM (science, technology, renewables, engineering, art, agriculture, mathematics and manufacturing), business, sci-hi (science, healthcare, and related fields), and human services.
Photo credit: Wheelock Photography
ICS and the District even teamed up to provide a unique internship opportunity for one high school senior in the program to shadow the ICS project manager for the project. This “out-of-classroom” real-world experience solidified their future career path in the world of construction. Hutchinson was rebuilt from the ground up to better meet the contemporary needs of its students. “They went from a building that didn’t function very well to something they can showcase for their town. It was fun to see the community come together for it during construction,” said Brett Baldry, Vice President of Construction with ICS. The new facility features modern classrooms and collaborative spaces, a new auditorium, IMPACT: THE ICS NEWSLETTER | 5
an open commons area and cafeteria space, fully integrated technology, secured and accessible entrances, parking lot improvements, and additional space for fine art, physical education, and other activities. With a facility that they can take pride in, Hutchinson has been transformed into a functional and modern learning space set to prepare its students for the future.
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“Having this bond referendum pass was monumental for the community. The building went from an eyesore to a source of pride. There had been four failed bond referendums dating back to the early 1970s to either replace or significantly update the High School. The new building has transformed the approach to education and the success of this project has shaped our vision of how schools should be designed and operated.” — Brian Mohr, Director of Buildings, Grounds, and Student Transportation.
Photo credit: Wheelock Photography
“The new Hutchinson High School is the center of our community. It was designed to serve the educational needs of our students, as well as the needs of our community. The updated facilities are being rented and used by outside community organizations at rates much higher than ever. The passage of the Hutchinson High School bond referendum and the resulting beautiful facility provided enough momentum in the community to pass a second major bond referendum three years later to upgrade our elementary facilities.” — Daron VanderHeiden, Superintendent
Size: 150,000 SF high school addition Project Cost: $44.95 million Completion Date: August 2019 Services Provided: Planning, pre-referendum planning, owner’s representation, and technical services
ICS Team: Brett Baldry, Collin Rehbein, and Karin Borowicz Project Team: LHB Architects, W. Gohman Construction, and Rippe Associates
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Photo credit: ©LEO A DALY and Corey Gaffer Photography
Anoka County
CENTENNIAL LIBRARY Libraries are more than a place for books. They are a place to gather, to collaborate, and to connect people to each other and knowledge. The Anoka County Centennial Library is no different.
Centennial’s design, created by LEO A DALY, focused heavily on increased flexibility. Modern and moveable furnishings found throughout the space allow for a variety of group arrangements.
The existing library, opened in 1985, lacked adequate space to meet both the demographic and programmatic needs of the local growing community.
You’ll find several meeting rooms, study rooms, and a large 90-person gathering space complete with sliding glass doors, a play area, and a private entrance for use.
“The existing library was undersized and by providing additional space, while reusing as much existing as possible, this now allows Anoka County to now properly serve the community,” said Brett Baldry, Vice President of Construction with ICS. Doubling the space to 13,500 square feet added more modern and vibrant areas for community members to enjoy.
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The IQ kitchen, one of the most unique features in the library, comes equipped with a stocked demonstration kitchen, video recording and sharing capabilities, sewing machines, and a 3D printer. Influenced by the Danish concept of Hygge, Centennial’s design creates a feeling of wellbeing, comfort, and warmth. Central to this theme, the library features an expansive dual-sided fireplace to provide a warm and cozy destination for
Size: 13,500 SF Project Cost: $5.8 million Completion Date: August 2019 Services Provided: Construction Management Services ICS Team: Brett Baldry, Karin Borowicz, and Jason Johnson Project Team: LEO A DALY, KUE Contractors, Anoka County, City of Circle Pines
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reading, conversation, or quiet reflection. High ceilings and large bright windows maximize daylight and look out over native plants and sustainable rain gardens. Centennial has not only been brought into a new age, but it has also achieved the honor of being selected as one of Finance and Commerce’s Top Projects of 2019. Branch Manager Mary Healy and her staff are ecstatic with the improvements and are excited to see
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about what the future holds for the community. “We look forward to continuing to innovate and increase services while maintaining our friendly smalltown atmosphere and personalized interactions with patrons,” she said. Now with a fresh and modern atmosphere, the Anoka County Centennial Library will continue to draw local community members for years to come.
“Our patrons were ecstatic when word got out that we would finally be building a bigger library. We had outgrown our wonderful, little building, and we weren’t able to keep up with the demand of our growing community. On the day of the grand reopening, we had 1,500 visitors come to see the expanded Centennial branch. That speaks volumes to the love our community has for their library and their excitement for the new space. Much gratitude has been expressed that patrons don’t have to wait in line to use the computers. Staff are thrilled with their new workspace and proud to work in a beautiful state of the art building.” — Mary Healy, Anoka County Centennial Library Branch Manager
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Special Feature:
REOPENING SCHOOLS IN A COVID-19 WORLD Almost 800,000 students across Minnesota, 50 million students across the United States, and 1.5 billion students globally are learning online – an unprecedented situation in the history of education. Reopening schools is a complex decision and the impacts of reopening reach far beyond their own communities. Districts will need to collaborate with state government officials, health experts, city and county leaders, local healthcare officials, and more to ensure the successful reopening of their facilities.
Be on the lookout for
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Ultimately, whenever the decision is made to reopen schools, districts must be prepared for what education looks like in a COVID-19 world. In light of this, ICS is pulling together a group of various field experts to develop a comprehensive playbook for effective back-to-school strategies concerning the health, safety, and wellbeing of students, staff, faculty, and their communities. We are excited to be able to provide resources for districts to rely on as they make the difficult, and increasingly complex, decision of reopening schools.
LEARN MORE BY CONTACTING THE ICS TEAM MEMBER NEAREST YOU!
Twin Cities Blaine, MN
Pat Overom 763-354-2670 pat.overom@ics-builds.com
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Northeast MN Duluth, MN
Jeff Schiltz 218-722-3060 jeff.schiltz@ics-builds.com
Red River Valley Fargo, ND
Dave Bergeron 701-280-0500 dave.bergeron@ics-builds.com
Service Cooperatives Corner
ICS AND METRO ECSU PARTNER TOGETHER Metro ECSU, a nonprofit educational cooperative founded in 1976, delivers quality resources and services to their partners. Our team is excited to announce that, as of May, ICS and Metro ECSU are officially partners! Through this partnership, ICS offers facility solutions for Metro ECSU member organizations including LongTerm Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) management, long-range planning, energy efficiency and monitoring, small projects, and technical services. Additionally, Metro ECSU members, and all other service cooperative member organizations across the state, receive a 10% discount on planning services.
Karen Klein, Cooperative Accounts Manager, said “we’re very proud to partner with Metro ECSU and their member organizations.” ICS is currently working with several school districts and other governmental agencies within the region and is looking forward to expanding our reach in partnership with Metro ECSU. With the addition of Metro ECSU, ICS is partnered with all nine of the service cooperatives in Minnesota including South Central Service Cooperative, Southwest West Central Service Cooperative, Northeast Service Cooperative, Sourcewell, Northwest Service Cooperative, Southeast Service Cooperative, Lakes Country Service Cooperative, and Resource Training & Solutions.
For more information, reach out to Karen Klein, Cooperative Accounts Manager, at karen.klein@ics-builds.com.
South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD
Mike Hubbard 605-261-5616 michael.hubbard@ics-builds.com
Pennsylvania Media, PA
Phil Solomon 215-479-3543 phil.solomon@ics-builds.com
North Central MN Park Rapids, MN
Jason Splett 218-252-8025 jason.splett@ics-builds.com
Central Minnesota Sauk Rapids, MN
Brett Baldry 612-817-9318 brett.baldry@ics-builds.com
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St. Cloud Area School District 742
NEW TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL Education in ISD 742 is transformed. Traditional classrooms are now learning studios. Dark hallways are now collaborative learning and teaching spaces. And traditional learning is now the EPIC program: Exploring Potential Interests and Careers. Last fall, high school students of ISD 742 stepped through the doors of a beautiful 321,500 square foot campus – the brand new St. Cloud Technical High School. In a nutshell, the $104.5 million campus transforms how teachers prepare students for
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the workforce. Through the EPIC program, Tech students now experience hands-on learning in areas like business, engineering, health sciences, agriculture, and more. ICS Senior Project Manager Kyle Walter said, “the staff now have an environment to help support 21st Century learning and future careers.” Now, students can learn more about themselves and personality, their strengths, and what potential career paths interest them before they graduate from high school.
Investing in the District was important, but so was investing in the community. The use of Tech extends beyond students and staff. ICS Project Manager Luke Selken said, “the new facility supports a variety of community activities, which couldn’t happen at the previous facility due to space or accessibility.” Tech construction drummed up regional work, as almost 50% of the contractors were local firms. And at the peak of construction, 150 workers were on-site at a given time, as building a 321,500
“Tech High School has become a hub of community activity and a great source of pride. It provides an opportunity for the community to come together and see visibly how this school supports students and prepares them for careers and their future. There is an undeniable WOW factor as you walk through the doors. You can see student collaboration and the incorporation of soft skills in daily work, flexible learning spaces, and innovative teaching practices. On a personal note and as a parent, I can tell you it was thrilling to be present at the first Apollo-Tech football game on that impressive field, to experience concerts and performances in the professional auditorium, and to walk through the learning studios that open onto that gorgeous natural setting. As Superintendent, parent, and resident of this community, I can tell you that Tech High School makes you St. Cloud Proud. You can feel it.” — Willie Jett, Superintendent at St. Cloud Area School District
Photo credit: Corey Gaffer Photography
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square foot facility in only 22 months was no easy task. ICS, and the project team, worked to tackle many unique challenges such as the tight construction schedule, coordinating dozens of contractors and the permitting and design process with a DNR-protected trout stream, acres of wetlands, and several protected animal migration paths. To protect these resources and not disrupt the stream and wildlife, a custom engineered culvert and 185,000 square feet of paving product were installed – the single-largest installation in the country at the time. Built to replace the existing 100-year old facility, the 1,600-student campus sits on 68 acres on the south side of St. Cloud, MN. With visible and flexible learning spaces, ample daylight, innovative technology, and beautiful views of the local landscape, Tech students are ready to take on the future. Size: 321,500 SF + 68 acres of building site, parking lots, and athletic spaces Project Cost: $104.5 million Completion Date: August 2019 Services Provided: Planning and Project Development, Pre-Referendum Planning and Community Engagement, Construction Management Services, and Technical Services
Project Team: Acoustic Associates, Inc., Atomic Architectural Sheet Metal, Inc., Axel H. Ohman,Inc., BCI Construction, Inc., Ben’s Structural Fabrication, Inc., Boelter Landmark Restaurant Equipment & Design, Braun Intertec, Clark Engineering, Cuningham Group, Design Electric, Inc., Design Tree Engineering, Donlar Construction Company, Fire Construction Services, LLC, Fransen Decorating, Inc., Global Specialty Contractors, Inc., H2I Group, HRS, iiw Minnesota, KFI Engineers, Knife River Corporation, Landwehr Construction, McDowall Company, MCI, Inc., Northern Glass & Glazing, Patriot Erectors, Inc., Peterson Companies (Civil & Landscaping), Rippe Associates, RTL Construction, Inc., Schindler, Seating & Athletic Facility Enterprises, Sowles Company, Staging Concepts, The Caulkers Co., Inc., Video Services, Inc., W. Gohman Construction Co., Wells Concrete, and Wenger Corporation
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Photo credit: Corey Gaffer Photography
ICS Team: Brett Baldry, Jim Boisjolie, Karin Borowicz, Steve DiLallo, Andy Faulkner, Dana Fontaine, Erik Halland, Nate Hastings, Jason Johnson, CJ Leppla, Pat Overom, Arif Quraishi, Matt Ries, Pat Schaefer, Brandon Schmidt, Luke Selken, Kris Shattuck, Andy Terveer, Kyle Walter, and Raeann Wynn
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#TEAMICS SPOTLIGHT: SAUK RAPIDS
“I’ve been working for ICS for the past two years and love the atmosphere. I enjoy the teamwork, problem-solving, and collaboration the team puts into every project. The tools ICS provides to complete every task benefits the team and affords the best outcome for every client.”
Erik Halland Site Superintendent
“Working for ICS provides a unique opportunity to be a part of a project from the moment funding is secured to the moment the building is operational. This is extremely gratifying to help guide our clients through every step of the process and see their dream come to fruition. This process also allows us to have a unique perspective to help guide clients, design teams, contractors, and suppliers through any issues that may occur during the implementation of a project. With this unique perspective and utilizing our internal industry knowledge, we’re able to provide the best project possible.”
Kyle Walter Senior Project Manager
“What I find exciting is the opportunity to interact with the people who live and work in the buildings we’re renovating - to hear their stories of how hard and long they worked to get the bonds passed so that we could update and add to their community school. Everyone who I’ve met has had or knows somebody who attended or is attending the school. This makes me want to give them the best product I can and show them what ICS is all about.”
Eric Baker Site Superintendent
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“Everyone at ICS has a voice. Our team is made up of who are proud of what they do. Dealing with constru can be stressful, but with ICS’s approach, we’ve been an even stronger reputation with our clients and con teams. Working in the public sector, we are extremel partner with many great clients to bring life to their i help them with their facility issues. With our new off in Sauk Rapids, it makes it even easier for us to work of our clients.”
B Vice President of Co
“I love working in the construction industry and find it to be very rewarding. Every day is a different day, and I love seeing a project through from the beginning to the end. I’m excited to be at ICS and working with such a great team!”
Bekah Chapman Project Coordinator
“Even though I these strange t team has been in my professio a real sense of and when anyo arises on a proj troubleshoot an been a team pla get that same f here – not only but throughout
of people uction issues n building nstruction ly lucky to ideas and fice location k with some
Brett Baldry onstruction
“I love working at ICS! Within the organization, I’m fortunate to work with many different personalities and many levels of experience. Every person at ICS has something to teach, and I’m continually learning and will (hopefully) continually improving. Outside of the organization, I have the privilege of being involved with projects that tangibly improve peoples’ lives. From air-quality improvement projects to the construction of new facilities, the work that I do - that ICS does - is powerful and impacts entire communities. I can’t imagine a job that is more rewarding or more fulfilling than my job at ICS.
Chris Rear Project Director
started with ICS during times, the Sauk Rapids so amazing and supportive onal development. There’s team, no stupid questions, one has an opportunity that ject, everyone jumps in nd help solve it. I’ve always ayer, and it’s reassuring to feeling from the rest of us y in the Sauk Rapids office, t the company.”
“Working for ICS has been great. We are very team-oriented. If I have questions or know someone in the office has worked on a similar project, I can easily get in contact with them. The construction industry can be busy and stressful at times, but at the end of a project, it’s satisfying seeing a district and community happy with their building. I believe ICS has built a culture around quality, clientdriven work that shows in all our projects.”
Luke Selken Project Manager
“I love working at ICS because it’s easy to stay passionate and driven on projects. For so many individuals, schools tie the community together. The people we work with are so enthusiastic about their educational systems that it’s hard not to share that same passion.”
Collin Rehbein Project Manager “I’ll be working on the Dawson/ Boyd project, which is the next community south of where I was raised and attended high school. I’m excited to see some familiar faces and be a part of the team to give the community a quality upgrade to the school and expand to the community center.”
Dain Erickson Site Superintendent
Dan Hiemenz Project Manager IMPACT: THE ICS NEWSLETTER | 19
CONNECT WITH US! #BuildingStrongConnections
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