March 7, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2014
Jessie Folmar
Senior Public Relations Manager
866-478-3600 / [email protected]
Madison Police Precinct and Crime Lab LEED Silver-certified renovation project recognized for excellence by the Associated General Contractors of Tennessee
Messer Construction Co. has been selected by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Tennessee to receive its prestigious 2014 Build Tennessee Award. One of eight award winners, Messer was honored in the $10-plus million renovation category for its Madison Police Precinct and Crime Lab renovation project in Nashville.
Messer received its award during the AGC of Tennessee’s awards banquet on Feb. 27 at Music City Center in Nashville. It is the company’s first Build Tennessee Award. In 2013 Messer was honored by the AGC of Tennessee with Awards of Merit, for construction management of the West Police Precinct and Middle Tennessee State University Student Union.
Metro Madison Police Precinct and Crime Lab
In 2011, Messer was chosen by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro) to take an abandoned, 42,000-square-foot truck manufacturing warehouse in northeast Nashville and lead its $29.5 million transformation into an 84,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art crime lab and police precinct. Less than three years later – on Jan. 14, 2014 – the Madison Police Precinct opened for business.
The facility’s use of green elements – LED lighting, wireless lighting controls and bio-safety cabinets, among others – and exceptional recycling practices during construction – more than 180 tons of metal were recycled – helped land it a prestigious LEED Silver certification, which recognizes the building’s reduced environmental footprint.
Charlie Ingram, project manager for Metro, said Messer’s work will benefit the building’s quality and longevity. “It was clear Messer was concerned with not only providing a high-quality building,” he said, “but with providing a high-quality building that will last for decades.”
The challenge, though, reached deeper than the inevitable, complex logistical and quality issues, as a rising crime rate in Nashville’s northern neighborhoods called for additional law enforcement resources in the area. The planned precinct would be Tennessee’s first with its own crime lab, a significant step, according to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, in fighting crime.
“Having our own crime lab is a game-changer for public safety in our city,” Dean said. “This state-of-the-art facility will greatly enhance our investigative capabilities.”
Dean added to that sentiment in December, after touring the facility for the first time, saying to the media, “I couldn’t be more thrilled about what I saw today.”
Because of the spike in crime, though, additional law enforcement support in the area could not wait for the project’s completion. As a result, Messer was called upon to renovate the basement of a neighboring building for use as a temporary precinct during construction.
The temporary precinct, however, was a public building, raising obvious logistical and safety issues for its 100-plus police officers. Therefore, throughout the construction process, Messer helped provide secure police parking and manage a safe public entry at the temporary site, resulting in zero recordable accidents or public incidents during the course of the project.
The process of transforming the warehouse into a state-of-the-art precinct and crime lab, though, was a complex and thorough endeavor, in and of itself. First, Messer carefully stripped down the building to only its structural steel. While many renovations involve demolition aspects, this included a meticulous, screw-by-screw disassembling of the building. A second floor was then added, doubling the building’s square footage, and from there the facility was very carefully brought together.
But logistical concerns often complicated the project, as the facility’s large, complex and extremely sensitive equipment required careful planning to effectively put into place. At times, entire rooms had to be built around intact equipment because of its size.
To aid in this often-complex planning and execution, Messer employed a host of lean construction practices, including high-tech, innovative construction tools like LATISTA, laser scanning and Building Information Modeling (BIM). The result was a unique, multifaceted renovation project that was delivered on-time and within budget.
“Once again, working with Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County proved to be an outstanding experience,” said Allen Begley, senior vice president at Messer. “This award is a testament to their commitment to making Nashville a regional and national leader in sustainability and environmental quality, and we at Messer are very proud to be a part of the transformations taking place with their police precincts and fire stations.”
Now, with a new facility in place, Nashville law enforcement is finally able to devote even more resources to furthering the safety of the city.
“This renovation has transformed the way Nashville and Davidson County investigates crime in our neighborhoods,” Ingram said of the project. “I am grateful for the expertise provided by the entire Messer team.”
About Messer Construction Co.
Messer Construction Co. is a construction manager and general contractor providing leadership for complex commercial building projects. An employee-owned company, Messer builds better lives for its customers, communities and each other, and delivers value through quality construction and client experiences. Founded in 1932, Messer’s footprint has grown to nine regional offices located across the Midwest and Southeast. The company is consistently ranked among the country’s 100 largest contractors by Engineering News-Record, and in fiscal 2013, Messer put in place more than $830 million in commercial construction. Messer now stands as one of the nation’s leading health care and higher education builders, and also boasts extensive, award-winning work in the life sciences and industrial market segments. Messer employees live where they work, resulting in the company’s sustained commitment to building better communities. That commitment has remained paramount throughout Messer’s growth, and it is achieved annually through the company’s own foundation and through the time, service and dollars invested by its employee-owners in community organizations and causes.
