Building better: Indiana's 2001 winners in excellence and safety from the associated builders and contractors.

• Author: Cole, Stacy
• Position: Build Indiana

INDUSTRIAL: PRIME CONTRACT OVER $2 MILLION

Siemen's Power Transmission & Distribution's nearly 147,000-squarefoot facility in the new technology park in Lafayette has given the company enough space to function as well as room to grow in the future.

Meyer Najem Inc. of Fishers broke ground on the facility in November 1999 and the owners were able to move in by September of the following year--even with delays caused by road construction in the area.

The new building includes 63,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space, and 83,000 square feet of office space, housing administrative offices, fitness center and locker rooms, research-and-development labs and even a future full-service cafeteria.

Forty-six subcontractors worked on the project along with hundreds of others, yet only one recordable safety incident occurred.

COMMERCIAL: PRIME CONTRACT OVER $2 MILLION

After several scares that the budget would rocket out of control and that the project schedule would be compromised due to some unexpected difficulties, Kroger Store #J820 in Linwood Square, Indianapolis, was completed on time for its grand opening with minimal impact on the budget.

Just a few weeks before the scheduled opening, several design changes were made to the interior of the store, and sections of the parking lot began falling apart. Still, S&B Construction Co. of Indianapolis managed to get the job done on time and with minimal impact on the budget.

The store was part of a neighborhood revitalization effort just east of downtown, and was designed to reflect those initiatives. The 65,000-square-foot store was covered in red brick with red suspended awnings and arched divided windows.

COMMERCIAL: PRIME CONTRACT UNDER $2 MILLION

Maintaining a high-tech look and feel that still reflects classic quality and legacy was the goal in designing the new 17,000-square-foot Saab dealership in Fishers.

Catalyst Construction Management of Fishers was able to complete the project within 26 weeks--four weeks faster than its original 30-week goal. The dealership also opened under budget.

Designed by Everton, Oglesby, Askew Architects of Nashville Tennessee, along with Schenkel Shultz Architects, Fort Wayne, the dealership has set a new standard for Saab dealerships across the United States.

INDUSTRIAL: PRIME CONTRACT UNDER $2 MILLION

With hundreds of employees making the outdoor hike from parking structures to office buildings, Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis realized it needed a better way to keep employees safe from traffic and bad weather.

The R.L. Turner Corp. of Zionsvile was brought in to create the PS3 Connector, a network of underground pedestrian thoroughfares. R.L. Turner converted utility corridors into tunnels after completing a great amount of demolition work, which had to be performed while not harming any existing structures or finishing, as well as not disrupting the company's computer networks,

With a full-time safety coordinator the fast-track project was completed in 15,210 man-hours with only one recordable incident.

INSTITUTIONAL: PRIME CONTRACT OVER $1 MILLION

Thompson Thrift Development of Terre Haute set out to create a safe, comfortable and stimulating facility for the children of Grace Lutheran Child Development Center in Paris, Illinois.

An outdoor playground was created at the 14,000-square-foot building with a limestone fence to match the building and radiant floor heat underneath rubber paths to prevent children from slipping in icy conditions. Each classroom boasts separate cooling and heating systems, as well as radiant floor heat for infant and toddler spaces.

Security was also planned for, with state-of-the-art electronics and a main entrance door system only opened by...