AUGUST 31, 2017 6:50 AM
Obama Foundation Issues Request for Proposal to Four Construction
Management Teams for Obama Presidential Center, Establishing Ambitious Goals
for Diversity & Inclusion
Major Minority-Owned Firms Tapped to Submit RFP in Obama Foundation’s
Ongoing Goal of Bringing Local, Diverse Firms into Development of OPC
Chicago, IL – Today, the Obama Foundation issued a formal Request for
Proposal (RFP) to four teams under consideration for the role of construction
manager for the Obama Presidential Center (OPC). The RFP highlights the Obama
Foundation’s commitment to fostering inclusion and promoting diversity, as well
as creating meaningful opportunities and jobs for local businesses, community
members, and underrepresented communities in the South Side and throughout Chicago.
With projects and initiatives all over the world, the Obama Presidential Center
will be based on the South Side of Chicago, a community near and dear to the
Obamas.
The Obama Foundation is asking its construction manager candidates to
commit to awarding 50% or more of its subcontracts to “diverse suppliers”,
which in addition to minority (MBEs) and women business enterprises (WBEs)
includes businesses owned by veterans, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ
individuals. The Foundation is requiring that no less than 35% of the OPC’s
subcontracts to MBE firms. With these aggressive goals, the Foundation is
hoping to set a new precedent for diversity and inclusion in major construction
projects in Chicago and beyond.
In addition to contracting practices, the RFP also asks bidding firms to
detail new and innovative approaches to maximize diverse participation among
the OPC workforce, particularly from underserved communities on the South and
West Sides of Chicago, including Woodlawn, South Shore and Washington Park.
Candidates are asked to provide not only job recruitment, but also job
retention strategies, a sometimes-overlooked element in maintaining diverse
workforces. Competing firms will be asked to detail how they plan to work with
labor unions to increase the pipeline of talent among underrepresented groups.
Competing firms are also being asked to think specifically about engagement
among under-employed populations including ex-offenders and minority youth.
The Foundation is further requiring bidding teams to submit a significant
amount of detail to demonstrate how the team’s own best practices align with
the Foundation’s mission of civic engagement and commitment to diversity in
hiring. The CM candidates will also be required to provide:
- Detailedspending history with diverse suppliers, including past constructionprojects and operational spending (e.g. vendors for legal, advertising,communications, banking, etc.);
- Breakdownof past philanthropic spending, including those firm’s contributions to educational,environmental and civil rights causes; and
- Make-upof the board of each firm and diversity goals for current internal hiringpractices.
“The Obamas chose to develop the Obama Presidential Center on the South
Side to give back to the community that has given so much to them. With this
RFP, the Foundation has established significant and aggressive goals for
diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating meaningful opportunities
and jobs for local businesses, community members, and underrepresented
communities in the South Side and throughout Chicago, and using our platform to
pioneer new approaches to engaging minority populations in the construction
industry to provide not just short-term jobs, but long-term professional
opportunities,” explained David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation.
“We thank everyone who responded to our RFQ and congratulate the four teams
on making it to the final stage of consideration,” said Roark Frankel,
Director of Planning and Construction for the Obama Foundation. “We have
set high standards for our finalists to meet – from contracting, to detailing
who they will employ, and to the innovative hiring programs they will develop
for young people. While we recognize that our goals are ambitious, we also
believe that change cannot happen without setting the bar high.”
Today’s RFP announcement comes after the Obama Foundation issued an open
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in June 2017 to firms interested in the
construction manager position.
While construction is not slated to begin until late 2018, the construction
manager is expected to join the project team before year’s end to provide
pre-construction services such as cost estimating, constructability review(s),
value engineering, and logistics planning during the project’s remaining design
phases. Firms will also be asked to include information to be considered to
perform all of the construction services for the OPC. They will join a diverse
team that demonstrates the Obama Foundation’s commitment to including local,
minority firms in the development and construction of the Obama Presidential
Center, including Interactive Design Architects, McKissack & McKissack,
Ardmore Associates and many more. To ensure that the work of the Foundation is
informed by a diverse set of viewpoints and is in line with its values of
diversity and inclusion, the Obama Foundation announced the formation of an
Inclusion Council in October 2016.
The following construction management teams have been selected to submit
their proposals to the Obama Foundation:
Clark/Smoot
Presidential Builders (Clark Construction Group/Smoot Construction Company/GMA
Construction Group, LLC/Bowa Construction)
Founded in 1906, Clark Construction Group today employs
4,200 people in offices and jobsites across the United States. Celebrating its
25th year in Chicago, Clark has established itself as a premier local General
Contractor, Design-Builder and Construction Manager. Clark is corporately
headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland with other regional offices in California,
Florida, Texas and Washington.
Founded in 1946, Smoot Construction is one of the largest
minority-owned construction firms in the country and provides comprehensive
construction management, general contracting and design-build services. Smoot
Construction serves clients in Midwest and the greater Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area, and has developed a diverse portfolio that includes
historically significant restorations, public assembly facilities, educational
institutions, commercial office buildings and sports facilities.
Founded in 2009, Griggs Mitchell Alma Construction Group, LLC. (GMA)
is a minority- and veteran-owned small business based in Chicago. GMA is
licensed, bonded, and insured in the State of Illinois. Additionally, GMA’s
self-performed work capabilities include Concrete, Rough Carpentry and Finish
Carpentry and Flooring.
Founded in 2009, Bowa Construction (a division of The Bowa
Group Inc.) is located in the South Side community. They have become one
of the largest minority-owned general contractors in the Chicagoland area. Bowa
has developed an extensive portfolio of clients in healthcare, civic,
higher education, commercial office renovations, historic renovations, and
mission critical projects.
Lakeside Alliance
(Turner Construction Company/Powers & Sons Construction/UJAMAA Construction
Inc./Brown & Momen Inc./Safeway Construction Company, Inc.)
Working in and around Chicago since 1924, Turner Construction
Company brings excellent management expertise, building experience and
knowledge of the respective markets, infrastructure and civic processes. Turner
employs a staff of 215 people in Illinois, and manages annually approximately
$500 million of local construction activity.
Powers & Sons Construction Company was founded in
1967 and has evolved to be a well-recognized and respected multi-million dollar
General Contractor, Construction Manager, and Design-Builder. The firm has
fully staffed offices in Chicago, IL; Gary, IN and Indianapolis, IN with a
staff of more than 70 professionals. In 2016, the company managed more than
$200 million in construction projects.
Founded in 2002 by owner and architect Jimmy Akintonde, Ujamaa
Construction Inc. (UJAMAA) has consistently built its portfolio with
successful projects and satisfied clients. Under his leadership, the UJAMAA
team is equipped with decades of combined general construction experience from
the most premier construction companies in the Midwest. In 2016, UJAMAA
completed over $42 million in local construction projects.
Brown & Momen, Inc. is a professional, Chicago-based
corporation established in 1988 providing comprehensive services in general
contracting, construction management, owner’s representation, and carpentry.
Brown & Momen has worked on a number of notable Chicago-based projects,
including museums, apartment complexes and schools.
Safeway Construction Company, Inc. has provided quality and
affordable construction services, throughout the Chicago area for over 30
years. Their team offers a unique combination of Chicago construction
experience, minority & women outreach, relevant project experience, along
with well-established construction best practices.
Power Mortenson
Partners (Power Construction Company/Mortenson Construction/GMA
Construction/Bowa Group)
Power Construction Company is a 91-year-old, family and
management-owned firm operating exclusively in greater Chicago. With over 250
full-time professionals and $1 billion in annual revenues, today Power is the
largest contractor in Chicago.
Mortenson Construction is a 63-year-old, family-owned
organization. Mortenson is currently ranked as the 18th-largest contractor in
the United States and have distinguished themselves by offering services based
on the values of trust, teamwork, service, responsibility, safety and
stewardship.
Founded in 2009, Griggs Mitchell Alma Construction Group, LLC. (GMA)
is a minority- and veteran-owned small business based in Chicago. GMA is
licensed, bonded, and insured in the State of Illinois. Additionally, GMA’s
self-performed work capabilities include Concrete, Rough Carpentry and Finish
Carpentry and Flooring.
Founded in 2009, Bowa Construction (a division of The Bowa
Group Inc.) is located in the South Side community. They have become one
of the largest minority-owned general contractors in the Chicagoland area. Bowa
has developed an extensive portfolio of clients in healthcare, civic,
higher education, commercial office renovations, historic renovations, and
mission critical projects.
Power Mortenson Partners intends to add another minority-owned firm to
their partnership in their RFP response.
W.E. O’Neil
Construction Company
Established in 1925, W.E. O’Neil Construction Company has
flourished into an award-winning and nationally ranked industry leader with
established experience working on major projects and cultural institutions in
Chicago. The W.E. O’Neil family of companies is headquartered in Chicago and
has a long tradition of community engagement through innovative apprenticeship
programs and supporting local businesses.
W.E. O’Neil Construction Company intends to partner with one or more
minority-owned firms in their RFP response.
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Contact: Kate Berner, kberner@skdknick.com
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