The
Newsletter
Projects at HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Worthington Public Schools ALC AND NEW GYMNASTICS BUILDING Service Cooperative Corner PLANNING WITH CONFIDENCE with Steele County
CONSTRUCTION WRAP-UP 2020 to-date Safety Corner OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY REMAINS TOP PRIORITY ICS RELOCATES HEADQUARTERS Referendum projects at ISD 197 (WEST ST. PAUL, MN)
I C S - B U I L D S .C O M
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HELLO FALL Fall always seems like the season of change, doesn’t it? And this year, of all years, has brought many. An exciting change for our team is that our ICS headquarters moved from Blaine, Minnesota to the Northeast Arts District in Minneapolis. Personally, I even moved to the Twin Cities too with my family relocating from Fargo to Minneapolis. I’m excited to be able to continue serving our clients out of our new office space. In this issue of IMPACT, we highlight four of the eight facility projects happening at ISD 197 in West St. Paul, the new ALC and gymnastics building at Worthington Public Schools, and the projects in Hinckley-Finlayson. We’ll also highlight one of our county projects who we had the opportunity to help work through some funding challenges. Summer of 2020 has been our busiest one yet, and we’ve included a construction wrap-up in this issue as well. You’ll also hear from our newly-hired Director of Safety and how his role will be critical to how we facilitate projects at ICS. We know that school leaders have carefully and thoughtfully planned for this new school year. It’s our hope that, now that you’re a few weeks into the new school year, some of the incredible pressure you’ve been feeling has been lifted and you’re enjoying a fresh start to a new school year. 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. Although none of us can predict what will happen in the future, we know that your goal, as well as ours, is to make it a great year for students and staff. For more information, you can reach me at dave.bergeron@ics-builds.com or 701-3712948. Dave Bergeron, Principal
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CONTENTS Referendum Projects at Hinckley-Finlayson Public Schools
4
ALC & New Gymnastics Building at Worthington Public Schools
8
Service Cooperative Corner Planning with Confidence with Steele County
12
Construction Wrap Up 2020 To-Date
13
Safety Corner Our Commitment to Safety Remains Top Priority
14
Company News: We Moved! ICS Relocates Headquarters
15
Referendum Projects at ISD 197 (West St. Paul, MN)
16
#TeamICS Spotlight Technical Services Team
20
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Referendum Projects at
HINCKLEY-FINLAYSON Public Schools
Education and athletics at Hinckley-Finlayson Public Schools has been revitalized. In November 2017, the District went out for a community vote to modernize aging facilities, improve and expand learning and recreational areas, and increase overall safety. The bond passed, and the $14.3 million District-wide renovation began. “I really enjoyed working on this project with school board members and school staff. It was so exciting to see how great the projects progressed and how positively they’ve impacted students and the community,” said Project Director Damien Williams.
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A prominent driving force behind the improvements throughout Hinckley-Finlayson schools was quality education. The growing demand for early childhood and special education led to the addition of new classrooms aimed at better serving a variety of learning types and student needs. Breakout spaces and faster technology were also incorporated to aid in student success. While providing a good education is at the heart of every school, Hinckley-Finlayson also understood the importance of safety for their students and staff. As a result, safety upgrades were a priority when facilities improvement planning first began. All school buildings within the District received security camera systems as well as better, safer, and more welcoming entrances. This increased protection for students and staff during emergency situations offered more control for the office staff to monitor people entering and exiting the buildings. Student pickup and drop-off points, a longtime safety concern for parents, were also revamped to reduce congested areas and create an overall safer experience. Creating usable community and recreational space was another focus for Hinckley-Finlayson Public Schools. The original gym, once a state-of-the-art facility built in 1971, had become unsafe, outdated, and undersized to meet the needs of student-athletes. This resulted in many students crossing a busy county highway to use a local banquet hall for additional recreational space, adding even more safety concerns.
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Now, the students at Hinckley-Finlayson have a brand-new gym, walking track, and fitness center that they can share alongside the community that is also safe. Superintendent Rob Prater said, “Our high school students love the new gym and are so proud of it. We were going to move our virtual graduation out of the gym to a smaller space due to COVID, but our students expressed how important it was to them to graduate in their new gym. The community also enjoys convenient access to several education rooms, walking track, and fitness center.� With a long-standing tradition of excellence, Hinckley-Finlayson has exemplified that tradition with a fresh and modern atmosphere aimed at keeping students and staff safe while creating opportunities for success and togetherness with the surrounding communities.
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“The community now has more convenient access to our schools. Our education rooms, walking track, and fitness center all have more use than we anticipated, and we were able to set up the space for more convenient access to people during the school day and outside of school hours. High school students are also proud of the large, and gorgeous, gymnasium. We were able to set this up so the drama department has access to the concessions stand and more locker room space that can be used as dressing/ make up rooms.” — Rob Prater, Superintendent
Size: 34,282 SF addition at the High School and a 1,581 SF addition at the elementary school Project Cost: $14.3 million Completion Date: June 2019 Services Provided: Project Development, Pre-Referendum Planning, Program Management, and Technical Services
ICS Team: Jeff Schiltz, Damien Williams, Angie Stahnke, Kevin Wormuth, Nate Hendrickson, Nate Hastings, Dana Fontaine, and Mark Cobb Project Team: DSGW Architects, Ebert Construction, Grazzini Brothers & Company, Inspec, Obernel Engineering, and Northland Consulting Engineers
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Worthington Public Schools
LEARNING CENTER & GYMNASTICS FACILITY Serving students in the Worthington area, the District’s new Alternative Learning Center (ALC) and Gymnastics Facility serves a unique dual purpose. True synergy is found in the shared entry and commons area that connects the two programs. Featuring a spacious learning commons, cafeteria spaces, a stateof-the-art gymnastics area and gymnasium, vibrant classrooms, arts and ceramics areas, and ample amounts of natural light, this new 43,180 square-foot facility uniquely positions ISD 518 to accommodate two major programs. The District’s ALC students were previously taught in the West Learning Center, a building that no longer supported the ALC’s programming needs. Now, ALC Principal Doug Brands
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said, “these students have something they are proud of too.” The building also features various multipurpose spaces for social events and gatherings for the surrounding communities. For the District’s reputable gymnastics team, it’s also a welcomed change. The new building is twice as big as where they were previously practicing, the Armory Business Center. Joni Reitmeier, ISD 518 Gymnastics Coach and Nurse, said “this facility provides the space, safety, and equipment needed for all students to become the best gymnasts they can be.” David Mulert, ICS Site Superintendent for the project, attended the first gymnastics meet in December. “Everyone was full of energy and excited to be in the new space” and many
Size: 43,180 SF Project Cost: $13.1 million Completion Date: September 2019 Services Provided: Planning and Project Development, Owner’s Representation, and Technical Services ICS Team: Dana Fontaine, Nate Hastings, Eric Johnson, CJ Leppla, David Mulert, Pat Overom, Matt Ries, Pat Schaefer, Brandon Schmidt, Ekalath Sophaphanh, Raeann Wynn, and Chris Ziemer Project Team: Wold Architects & Engineers, BKBM Engineers, Braun Intertec, and Sunkota Construction, Inc.
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community members commented on the new space he said. From the stadium seating and friendly atmosphere to the handicap accessibility and ease of getting in and out of the facility, it’s an exciting and impactful addition for the local communities. Located on the new Crailsheim site, one of the site’s benefits includes spacious surrounding fields. Although existing site and weather conditions during construction presented challenges, the ICS team worked with the rest of
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the project team to provide additional resources and incorporated a few engineering changes to deal with water issues that arose from the weather conditions. Ekalath Sophaphanh, ICS Senior Project Manager, said “our team worked closely with all team members to move the project forward.” At the end of the day, ISD 518 is now able to accommodate two major programs in a beautiful space that is not only welcoming for students and athletes, but for the local communities too.
“We are so grateful and blessed to have our new gymnastics facility. This facility provides the space, safety, and equipment needed for all our students to become the best gymnasts they can be. The new facility is a bright and welcoming place!” — Joni Reitmeier, Gymnastics Coach and Nurse at ISD 518 “The ALC has given us the opportunity to provide a quality educational facility for our non-traditional learners and serves a dual purpose as a gymnastics facility. The sharing of common spaces allows us to create efficiencies in serving multiple programs.” — John Landgaard, Superintendent at ISD 518 “The new space gives students a sense of belonging. Now they have something they are proud of too. Our ALC students have a great, spacious facility with lots of natural light. The learning commons and cafeteria spaces provide comfortable seating where students can hang out and enjoy being together.” — Doug Brands, Principal at ISD 518 ALC Principal
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Service Cooperatives Corner
PLANNING WITH CONFIDENCE WITH STEELE COUNTY Through our partnership with the nine regional service cooperatives, ICS builds connections with cities, counties, school districts, and other governmental agencies across Minnesota. One thing that we’ve learned is that regardless of the type of organization, success in meeting dynamic facility challenges most often comes down to one thing; effective planning. We’ve found that if we pay close attention in the planning phase, we can guide our customers down a more proactive (and costeffective) path. Take Steele County as an example. When they found themselves under-budgeted for a project, their team recognized the need to assess all facilities so they could identify, budget, and plan for needed projects more accurately. As a member of the Southeast Service Cooperative, Steele County was referred to ICS to assist with their planning efforts.
In addition to life-cycle planning and other facility needs, two major priority projects were identified. The Steele County detention center and the County Administration building. A top concern at the detention center was keeping the facility conditioned in all seasons because of the potential cost of transporting inmates. The building also had ineffective, inefficient systems with questionable remaining useful life. Not only that, but the building’s systems needed a simplified solution with less risk and more control for the county. ICS utilized energy-efficiency legislation to implement a designbuild project with a guaranteed maximum price and minimize the budget impact by using ongoing operational savings and utility rebates to offset the project costs via debt service with historically low-interest rate specialized bonds.
At the County Administration building, temperature and comfort-control had been an issue for some time. By incorporating new controls and heating plant systems into the project, we were able to address end-of-life concerns with these systems and leverage energyefficiency, maintenance, and repair savings to help pay for the project’s cost. ICS also identified a significant amount of proactive energyefficiency measures to incorporate into the overall scope of work. This helped further offset project costs like lighting upgrades and modern software for more effective facility management. Steele County is now focused on eliminating problems before they have a chance to appear by identifying funding gaps and proactively managing their facilities.
If you’d like to see your organization take a proactive approach to facility maintenance and planning, reach out to Karen Klein, Cooperative Accounts Manager, at karen.klein@ics-builds.com.
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500+
CONSTRUCTION WRAP-UP
contractors working on ICS project sites
2020 to-date
63
ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Plus a few more slated to start in October!
59
FIELD PERSONNEL
(PROJECT MANAGERS, PROJECT ENGINEERS, SITE SUPERINTENDENTS)
supported by
8
&
6
PROJECT COORDINATORS
TECHNICAL SERVICES STAFF
*We calculate actual project cost numbers at the end of each year. This
managed
$535,000,000
*
is an estimate for 2020 includes design fees, ICS fees, permits etc. Many of our projects are phased over multiple years including throughout the winter months.
in construction projects
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Safety Corner
OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY REMAINS TOP PRIORITY with Donny Hines, ICS Safety Director
At ICS, our values are We Care, Integrity, Quality, Collaboration, and Smart Innovation. When it comes to safety, We Care and Collaboration are vital components in creating a culture where all employees go home to their families every day. So, what does this mean to you? As leaders in your school districts, businesses, and organizations, I believe it should give you a sense of security
to know that our team is doing the very best to manage safety on your projects. As someone who’s been a safety professional in the construction industry for almost 30 years, I can honestly say that it is not always an easy task. It takes leadership and commitment – and that’s what you’ll see from our site safety leaders. By setting clear expectations and holding contractors accountable, we know we’ve set up your projects for safety success from the beginning.
To me, safety is a personal choice. We all make choices every day and hope that they’re the right ones. If you don’t make the right choice on a construction site, cted du n co the consequences could e or Whittem of ager Scott ce an n M ta or ct p je im ro be devastating. Creating ICS P rating the d down, reite August. of th a safety stan on a culture where safety m e tered th e en safety as w
LEARN MORE!
CONTACT AN ICS TEAM MEMBER NEAR YOU!
Twin Cities Blaine, MN
Pat Overom 763-354-2670 pat.overom@ics-builds.com
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becomes a habit, not an excuse, ensures all workers go home. And in all honesty, that should always be the #1 focus. We are currently in what we call our “summer slam” months on a lot of our projects. We are doing our very best to meet deadlines so that the schools are ready for students and staff to return. It’s during these months that the personal choice element enters the equation more frequently. At ICS, we know that it’s vitally important to keep safety as the top priority because we all know what can happen when we are in a hurry! I’m very excited to have recently joined #TeamICS and am looking forward to working with the safety committee, superintendents, project managers, etc. and assisting with creating the mindset that SAFETY is a core value that must not be compromised.
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
Company Update
WE MOVED! If this year has taught us anything, it’s that change is inevitable. It’s also a great opportunity. Since our company’s founding in downtown Minneapolis back in 2006, ICS has grown and evolved. From Spring Lake Park to Mounds View and most recently Blaine, ICS is excited and proud to announce our relocation to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District! Why Northeast Minneapolis? With its central location in the Twin Cities area, the vibrant neighborhoods, its proximity to major freeways, and a larger talent pool – our team is thrilled to be part of this community. Our leaders at ICS believe that, even in economic downturns, it’s critical to invest in our communities, and we hope to add to the energy and ingenuity of the local area. Don’t forget to update your records to reflect our new location and direct all future correspondence to 1331 Tyler Street NE Suite 101, Minneapolis, MN 55413. If you have any additional questions, please contact Eryn Sorensen, Director of Marketing & Communications, at eryn.sorensen@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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Referendum projects at
ISD 197 (WEST ST. PAUL In May of 2018, the residents of ISD 197 voted to approve a referendum to update buildings and other facilities throughout their District. The goals were to, modernize outdated classrooms and educational spaces, conduct building and mechanical maintenance, improve fine arts and athletic areas, and address handicapped accessibility and parking lot traffic configurations. At the three elementary buildings, the referendum’s goal of equity throughout the schools and modernizing the buildings shone through. Moreland and Garlough saw two additions, and Pilot Knob had one addition. “With the elementary buildings’ additions,
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they all now have roughly the same amount of square footage,” said Project Manager Beau Mannino. He added that all the elementary schools now have beautiful common learning areas outside their classrooms. Also, every classroom around the commons area has a sliding partition that can open to make the room feel larger. Moreland and Garlough also had kitchen and cafeteria renovations included in their projects. Before, food was prepared off-site and then brought to each school. “In addition to equity throughout the schools, another goal of these projects was to get rid of the institution
feeling that some of the buildings had,” said Ryan Hoffman, Project Development Manager, “the idea was to modernize it and also incorporate a way to be more interactive with students.” Each of the buildings now has more classroom space, lots of flexible learning areas, and a ton of natural light. While the classrooms are the same size, all kids will now have equal access to resources and different learning environments – these are all positive impacts coming directly from the referendum. Another project that wrapped up for the District this summer was the multi-purpose athletic facility, now named Warrior
“These projects represent a huge change for our district. It’s not really about wowing, it’s more importantly about connecting our students. With the changes happening at Warrior field, the High School, and the aquatics center, there are now places for our community and students to gather. All the buildings will offer more natural light. Our everyday operations will run smoother with the changes happening in the kitchens. Our students and teachers will have more flexibility in teaching.” — Peter Olson-Skog, Superintendent at ISD 197
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Field. Previously, the District’s football field was next to one of the middle schools approximately two miles from the High School. The field itself was ready for replacement and the location was not ideal for hosting sporting events. Limited seating, parking, and event amenities such as concessions, restrooms, and team rooms also contributed to it being hard to host athletic events. Now, the District has a brand-new artificial turf field that can host lacrosse, soccer, football, and track and field. “It’s a gorgeous stadium and it’s just a really nice facility,” added Mannino. “It’s been very exciting to watch all the walls coming down and walls coming up throughout the summer. There are so many improvements that we want to show everyone so that we can thank them for their support,” said ISD 197 Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog. In addition to excellent amenities, the District and the design team also utilized LED lighting that makes it so that the stadium can be bright while giving off very minimal light pollution to the surrounding area.
Size: District-Wide Project Cost: $117 million
While these four projects are exciting to have complete, there are even more projects wrapping up in the District in the next 1224 months. These projects are the tip of the iceberg for the big things happening at ISD 197!
Completion Date: August 2021 Services Provided: Community Task Force facilitation, Project Development, Pre-Referendum Planning, Owner’s Representation, and Technical Services ICS Team: Todd Wetzel, Beau Mannino, Bryce Kinniry, Kurt Gillund, Karin Borowicz, Raeann Wynn, Pat Overom, and Ryan Hoffman Project Team: LSE Architects, Hallberg Engineering, Anderson-Johnson Associates, Inc., Peterson Companies, Sheehy, Donlar Construction, Langer Construction, Rochon Corporation, Construction Results Corporation, Shaw-Lundquist Associates, Inc., and USAquatics
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#TEAMICS SPOTLIGHT: TECHNICAL SERVICES
I love the variety of projects we’re involved with - we get to work on everything from law enforcement centers and healthcare facilities to K-12 schools and office buildings. Every job comes with unique challenges, but seeing our clients excited to have a new or remodeled facility that they can be proud of, and knowing that we as a team did our best to deliver it to them, is an incredible feeling. Jim Boisjolie Senior Technical Services Specialist
It’s become clear to me how many schools need significant improvements to their facilities, the mechanical systems, lighting, etc. The ICS team is there to assist in making these much-needed improvements happen. It feels fantastic to play a role in making things better for students, teachers, and staff who spend most of their days in these buildings. Nate Hastings Senior Technical Services Specialist
Working with this team has been a great experience of teamwork in the professional field. I appreciate that each of us has our own strengths and lets that show on every project. Also, no matter who is the lead on the project, we always work hard together to make it the best one yet. CJ Leppla Technical Services Engineer
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I’ve enjoyed my time wor these last two years. Bein college when I started he Services team helped me we’ve become a tight-kni of that, ICS has shown a h integrity and strives to pr outcomes for our clients.
I like working on a project from initial design to final construction. I also enjoy that our work gets me out of the office and working with clients to ensure that the finished product meets their needs. Brandon Schmidt Senior Technical Services Engineer
I’ve been a part of the team since 2014, but have worked with ICS years before that on several projects. I always admired ICS’s culture of putting the clients and their best interests first. When there was an opportunity for me to join the ICS Team, I was excited to do so. Even with all the company growth over the years, the core values and the culture haven’t changed and I’m really proud to lead this talented team of Technical Services staff.
I enjoy the variety of working between the field and the office. I also really love getting to learn new and different types of HVAC systems all the time. Commissioning can challenge you on all fronts, looking at the design of a system, how it is installed, and how it is being controlled. My coworkers and the environment here at ICS are awesome. Pat Schaefer Technical Services Manager
Dana Fontaine Director of Technical Services
rking at ICS over ng fresh out of ere, the Technical e get going and it group. On top high level of roduce the best . Matthew Ries Energy Engineer
Being a part of our Technical Services team for the last several years has been so rewarding. I love to see so many building systems come together and operate as intended. It’s also fun to work in large groups with engineers, contractors, and owners. It’s satisfying to know that the owner and the design team value our expertise. Andy Terveer Senior Technical Services Specialist
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FREE RESOURCES AVAILABLE WWW.ICS-BUILDS.COM/REOPENING-SCHOOLS/
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