In this Spring edition, articles include:

Time to Build: Today, owners are getting the best value in a generation.
by Mike Bolen, Chairman & CEO, McCarthy
Many owners are beginning to take advantage of a welcome side-effect of the current recession: an unprecedented drop in the cost of building materials and labor.

Why Building the Community is Just as Important as Building the Project.
by Angeles Garcia, McCarthy Project Manager, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center
When a construction project is in full swing in a neighborhood, next door to a business, or along a heavily traveled highway, it can be a nuisance. Find out how to turn this project challenge into a win-win for everyone.

See the National Edition now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., (www.mccarthy.com), Orange County’s largest construction firm, along with 33 subcontractors and suppliers, recently completed construction of a new 25,000-square-foot athletic facility for GOALS (Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning and Service) youth program.  Called “The GOALS Dreamscape,” the athletic facility is located in north central Anaheim adjacent to GOALS existing headquarters on La Palma Parkway. McCarthy has been involved with GOALS for over 14 years since the firm donated labor and rallied subcontractor support for the construction of the Disney GOALS Roller Hockey Skating Rink and headquarters facility in Anaheim. 

“Almost half-a-million dollars of in-kind technical services, labor, equipment and building materials were contributed in order to bring this new venue from a dream to a reality,” said GOALS Executive Director Dave Wilk.  “The outpouring of generosity combined with the quality of construction especially in these tough economic times has been an amazing experience for our staff, volunteers, and of course, the children.”

Donated entirely by local businesses and the city of Anaheim who provided the land along with support and guidance from the United States Tennis Association and Southern California Tennis Association, the athletic facility features two full-size, lit tennis courts; a 6,000-square-foot artificial turf arena for multiple sports; 100 meter warm-up walking/jogging track surrounding arena; 440 meter circumferential walking/jogging fitness track; a fruit and vegetable “GOALS Garden” which will be planted and tended by GOALS children; an adjoining indoor work-out center for aerobic and anaerobic fitness and a 1,500-square-foot “mini court” for additional sports play.  Like all of the GOALS not for profit efforts, all program activities, equipment, uniforms, transportation access and coaching at The GOALS Dreamscape will be made available free to the low income youth participating.

“The project began in 2008 when the City of Anaheim agreed to give GOALS the chance to attract development support for a vacant parcel of nearby land,” explained Wilk. GOALS board member Tom Tait from Tait and Associates provided more than $65,000 of engineering and architectural support to propel the project. McCarthy donated more than $120,000 to the project and formed the subcontracting team that provided another $150,000 in goods and services. The team went on to complete the facility within eight months. The U.S. Tennis Association worked with AmeriCorps Vista volunteers to create the design of the tennis courts.

“This project represents a tremendous example of coordination and partnership between the private, public and not-for-profit sectors,” commented Tom Tait.  “The GOALS program was conceived with one act of kindness by Disneyland over 17 years ago, and this initial benevolence has become contagious among the GOALS staff and volunteers as well as through the longtime support of companies like McCarthy and the subcontractors who have helped make this project a reality.”

The project’s contributors, dubbed “The Dream Team” by GOALS, included: McCarthy Building Companies, The City of Anaheim, Tait & Associates, United States Tennis Association, Southern California Tennis Association, SOCALGEO Soil Engineering, The Murray Company, Ahern, J.B. Lumber, Anaheim Disposal, Bapko, Berg Electric, Premiere Engineering, United Rentals, Nolan’s Equipment Rentals, Crown Fence, Conco Pumping, Cal Portland, GPS Painting, J&M, CEMEX, Catalina Pacific/Cal Portland, Rebar Engineering, Western Paving, White Cap, Shaw & Sons, Athletica, Preferred Paving, H&E Rentals, NJP Sports, Zaino Tennis Courts, PlexiPave, LA Steelcraft, Precision Surfacing, Schmitz Foam Products, DOMO Turf and FlexSand.

The GOALS Dreamscape project was completed in part by McCarthy Heart Hats, a volunteer community outreach group led by the employees of McCarthy Building Companies.  The McCarthy Heart Hats community involvement program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees’ volunteer efforts in a variety of causes to ensure real needs are being met in communities where employees work, live and play.  McCarthy Vice President, Operations Tracy MacDonald; MIS Engineer Ray LaTour; Project Superintendent Ray Stiffler and Engineer Aaron Rosenhaus led The GOALS Dreamscape project for McCarthy and several other McCarthy employees donated labor and technical services for the project.

About GOALS:
GOALS, headquartered in Anaheim, Calif. is a long-standing not for profit program that involves thousands of low-income youth annually through a combination of athletics, afterschool educational enrichment and community service where its youngsters help others. More than 15,000 youth have participated in GOALS’ programs since 1994 when it was started by Walt Disney Co. The organization’s services are concentrated in Anaheim, but some programs are also available in the City of Placentia and San Diego. GOALS headquarters and other major facilities are concentrated in a ¼ mile complex known as the GOALS “Youth Opportunity Zone” (YOZ). Within this area lie GOALS Anaheim ICE arena, the GOALS Gardens indoor arena (primarily used for roller hockey), facility headquarters and the “Dreamscape” project.  Disney GOALS links its neighborhood outreach to the YOZ through a “GOALSFleet” of busses owned by the organization that transport hundreds of youngsters to and from their communities so they can access the free equipment, coaching and facilities operated by GOALS.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction firms. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Named “March LifeCare Campus” www.marchlifecare.com the 10-year, $3.3 billion construction project for March Healthcare Development will become a unique “city” encompassing 246 acres, housing some six million square feet of health related structures including: a hospital, medical office buildings, retail, a hotel, a continuing care retirement community, wellness centers and healing gardens as well as facilities for veterans, skilled nursing, spiritual healing and ambulatory care.

Governor Schwarzenegger summed up the significance of the massive project: “This is going to become known as the ‘Mayo Clinic ‘of the West… and during construction, 12,700 construction workers will be employed. After completion, 7,200 permanent healthcare related jobs will be created.”

The March LifeCare Campus project begins at a time when the Inland Empire area suffers some of the worst unemployment in the nation while experiencing a shortage in necessary healthcare. State, county and local support for the project is unprecedented.

“We’re seeing an ongoing state and local community commitment to redevelop an area that is in much need of economic growth and additional healthcare capacity,” said Michael Tuohy, McCarthy’s project director for March LifeCare. 

At the ceremony, two heavy duty Link Belt demolition machines were ordered by the Governor to start taking down the first of over 16 structures to make way for the 1.4 million-square-foot first phase of the three phase project.

McCarthy is the general contractor for the current $4.5 million demolition work and Master Builder for the program’s overall construction. U.S. Demolition Co. of Anaheim began the take-down of the first building at the ceremony.

March Healthcare Development (MHD) led by Managing Director and Project Leader Donald N. Ecker, has spent six years formulating the overall concept of the unique health and wellness venue. “We are pleased to have a firm with McCarthy’s reputation as part of our world-class team,” said Ecker. “At the Demolition Ceremony, the Governor recognized McCarthy as ‘the number one builder of hospitals in California.’”

Internationally renowned architectural firm HOK designed the Master Plan for the March LifeCare Campus.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction firms and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

“This design-build delivery process provides a greater level of coordination and collaboration between the design and the construction phases,” said Steven Mynsberge, executive vice president and healthcare business leader for McCarthy in Southern California. “We are currently targeting construction completion for summer 2011, but this process allows the designer and builder to work side-by-side as a cohesive team throughout the entire process. As such, this process better positions us to deliver the new facility sooner than anticipated.”

“South Health Center creates a gateway to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Medical Center Campus that will help to introduce the community to the expanded public health services that will be offered at the new facility and on the campus,” notes Randy Regier, president of TAYLOR. “With its contemporary architectural presence rendered in playful geometric forms, community inspired art program and welcoming sidewalk approach, the building is an important step in repositioning the entire medical district.”

Designed with a highly visible, double-height, glass enclosed entry lobby, the two-story structure also houses a community room on the north side of the building. Open to community groups seeking meeting rooms, the space includes glass window walls that open onto the pedestrian plaza which can be used as an outdoor space for health fairs and other activities.

The facility is on track to achieve its targeted LEED gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification goals with a design that takes advantage of its site in a high density location that offers easy access to public transit, and a smaller parking lot to encourage its use. For the building, the designers incorporated products with renewable and recycled content, low-VOC materials for surfaces and finishes, highly efficient mechanical systems and low-flow plumbing fixtures and a white roof. Thermally-efficient glazing contributes to energy savings while the large windows in the atrium and conference area bring in natural light. 

The L.A. County South Health Center will provide services such as testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis, as well as immunizations. In addition, it will also house administrative offices for public health nurses and health investigators.

Completion is anticipated in the summer 2011.
 
About TAYLOR:
TAYLOR is a full–service architectural and interior design practice focused exclusively on healthcare. The 60-person firm has built a strong regional practice and national reputation with a commitment to “Promoting Wellness through Architecture,” clients of the firm include: Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, CA, St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, CA, Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA, Scripps Health in San Diego, CA and Kaiser Permanente. For more information on the firm visit www.TAA1.com

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction firms and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

More than a decade ago, McCarthy’s Green Team formalized its in-house green knowledge network to capture and build upon the best green practices on its projects and in its offices. Today, McCarthy employs over 400 LEED Accredited Professionals and the firm’s resume of sustainable projects is valued at over $4 billion. The company is also ranked among the Top 50 Green Construction Companies (Engineering News-Record, September 2009).

McCarthy encourages sustainable design and building practices on all of its projects, regardless of formal LEED goals. Through leadership from the McCarthy Green Steering Committee and active support from employees nationwide, the company has established an in-house green training program to ensure employees are able to provide clients and partners with the most up-to-date green construction solutions. Among other green initiatives, all McCarthy project sites are committed to recycling construction debris, encourage worker carpooling and are smoke-free. In addition, McCarthy has calculated its carbon footprint and is committed to a 5 percent reduction by 2013.

Over the last six months, construction workers used a 196-foot tall Liebherr tower crane with a reach of 276 feet to install 5,805 pieces of structural steel creating the frame for the new tower. The project team celebrated the placement of the last structural steel beam with a barbecue lunch for the project’s construction workers. During the luncheon, project team members signed the I-beam which was adorned with an American flag and an evergreen tree before construction workers from Schuff Steel lifted it 160 feet and attached it to the top of the structure. The tradition of attaching a tree and flag to the final structural beam has been practiced by construction workers for over 1000 years. The tree represents growth, life and good luck for the construction workers and the building’s future occupants. The flag is displayed as a patriotic symbol that signifies the united effort by the project team to achieve a common goal.

Serving as the general contractor for the project, McCarthy’s contract entails construction of a new 425,524-square-foot patient tower with one basement level and seven upper levels as well as a penthouse chiller room and helistop. McCarthy will also conduct a 50,000-square-foot renovation of the existing facility and supporting central plant components in the basement of the existing CHOC North Tower. Prior to construction, an office building and two-level parking structure were removed to make way for the new tower.

“The project team is performing advanced building techniques to aid in the detailing and construction of the new tower,” said Max Burcham, McCarthy project director. “Our team is using computer graphics/BIM 3-D modeling to refine coordination and thereby reduce conflicts between systems during installation. We are also creating various mockups to mitigate any waterproofing issues as well as to work through the details of how multiple components interface.”

“The new patient care tower will enable CHOC to continue to expand and provide innovative tertiary and quaternary pediatric care. To promote a serene, healing environment, the tower will feature leading design and safety principles, private rooms and enhanced amenities. The state-of-the-art facility will also include advanced pediatric surgical suites and related services, as well as emergency, laboratory, pathology, imaging and radiology services,” explained CHOC’s Vice President, Facilities, Design and Construction, Waldo Romero.

The visually stimulating design is highlighted by a multi-colored glass skin, accented with colorful metal panels and a vertical beacon.  The exterior façade will transform at night, providing a playful change in appearance. All floors have shell space allocated for future department expansion. FKP Architects of Houston, Texas is the design architect and WBSA (Wood, Burghard & Swain Architects) of Irvine is the construction administration architect.

In response to the community and regional environment, the building will incorporate environmental health principles and sustainable building guidelines as recognized by the Green Guide for Healthcare, U.S. Green Building Council and state of California energy mandates. During construction, McCarthy will minimize unrecyclable construction waste, maintain proper indoor air quality, filter storm water/runoff and ensure that the subcontractors install the specified “green” materials. Sun/shadow studies and site lighting studies were utilized to provide an eco-efficient design. Some of the building’s sustainable design features include: recyclable materials; low-emitting insulating exterior glass panels; light colored skin materials; green roofing; insulation isolation of skin materials; ozone protection/refrigerant selection; abundant use and optimization of natural light; increasing green space with healing gardens; low-emitting interior materials such as floor, wall and ceiling finishes; energy management technology; water efficient landscaping; and irrigation management.

Jacobs of Cypress, Calif. is the project’s Construction Manager; Thomsen Engineering of Industry, Calif. is the Civil Engineer; TMAD Taylor & Gaines of Pasadena, Calif. is the Structural and MEP Engineer.

About CHOC Children’s
CHOC Children’s is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients. Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, CHOC’s regional healthcare network includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo, several primary and specialty care clinics, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence—The CHOC Children’s Heart, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Orthopaedic Institutes.

CHOC is one of only eight children’s hospitals in the nation named a “2009 Leapfrog Top Hospital,” and is the only children’s hospital in California to earn the Silver Level CAPE Award from the California Council of Excellence. CHOC was awarded Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence, and is the first children’s hospital in the United States to earn the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction firms and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

How True Builders Make a Difference
by Derek Glanvill, President and COO
A true builder has an end-to-end view of the entire construction process, from preconstruction through delivery and beyond. That adds value for owners, but there’s one central issue at the heart of the construction industry itself: forgetting how to build.

Is There a Perfect World in Project Delivery?
by Sue Stewart, Senior Vice President
The answer may be that creating the perfect project delivery method starts by implementing no defined project delivery method at all. Find out why.

See the National Edition now.

Readers can also view region-specific content by selecting from the drop down menu titled View Other Editions. These include Central, Nevada/Utah, Southern California, Northern Pacific, Southwest, Southeast, Texas and MC Industrial.

McCarthy recently topped off the structural steel on a new replacement hospital for Kaiser Permanente in Fontana. Located on the southern end of the existing Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center site, the hospital facility will replace the existing hospital tower at the campus which will later be converted for outpatient use. The approximately $700 million project, which will be one of the largest healthcare facilities in the Inland Empire, is currently ahead of schedule.

Members of the engineering and construction team at the beam signing ceremony for the approximately $700 million Kaiser Permanente Fontana replacement hospital project being built by McCarthy Building Companies.

Kaiser Permanente celebrated this major milestone at final beam signing ceremony and breakfast for staff, local elected officials and project team representatives on February 18, 2010. Later, McCarthy Building companies held a barbecue lunch for the construction workers and the final beam was lifted and secured in place by Herrick Corp. of Stockton, Calif. on March 10.

Two massive crawler cranes, each with a reach of about 360 feet, were used to simultaneously erect 4,700 tons of structural steel for the hospital and support building. Structural steel erection on both structures was completed in 11 weeks.

Serving as the general contractor for the project, McCarthy’s contract entails construction of the 314-bed, 482,078-square-foot hospital, a 50,000-square foot hospital support building and a 23,000-square-foot central utility plant. Prior to erecting the hospital, McCarthy conducted site preparation and built a new member and doctor parking lot. After completion of this project, McCarthy will demolish sections of the existing hospital and remodel remaining components of the existing building.

Designed by HMC Architects (www.hmcarchitects.com ), the new seven-level hospital boasts a sustainable and patient-centered design. Likewise, environmentally friendly building methods are being used throughout construction such as recycling building materials, minimizing unrecyclable construction waste and maintaining proper indoor air quality.  Being built to meet seismic standards adopted in California after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the hospital will feature a plaster and curtain wall exterior with a structural braced-frame core. The project is scheduled to complete in December 2012 with the new facility slated to open in 2013.

Once completed, the new hospital will house a variety of specialty services including a cardiac surgery department, a 51-bed emergency department, pediatric and neonatal ICU, inpatient dialysis unit, pediatrics, ICU, labor and delivery, cardiac cath lab and surgery. The hospital support building will be attached to the hospital and includes medical offices, radiology, a pharmacy and a specialty clinic.

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health plan. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region is a nonprofit, group practice prepayment program headquartered in Pasadena, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 3.3 million Southern California members from Bakersfield to San Diego. It encompasses the nonprofit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Region includes more than 47,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 5,200 physicians representing all specialties. More information about Kaiser Permanente can be found at www.kaiserpermanente.com.

About McCarthy Building Companies
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest construction firms and has been ranked among the top five national healthcare builders by Modern Healthcare since the magazine began its annual ranking more than 30 years ago.  In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta.  McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Matt, Elissa and Hailey Horan in front of their home that volunteers from McCarthy Building Companies and 22 local subcontractors renovated after learning the family needed their assistance.Long time Los Alamitos residents, Elissa and Matt Horan have experienced a great deal of hardship over the last few years. Matt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago and Elissa was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She recently completed 12 months of chemotherapy and is now undergoing radiation treatment to fight the cancer. Matt and Elissa have four children—Vanessa, Carrie and Dylan are over 17 years old and Hailey is just 2 years old. Both Carrie and Hailey live with Matt and Elissa.

“The Heart Hats learned about the Horan family from Yvonne Hernandez, the owner of Helping Hands Cleaning, who participates in Cleaning for a Reason (http://www.cleaningforareason.org), a non-profit cleaning service providing free professional housecleaning, and maid services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer,” said McCarthy project secretary Mary Jo VanAlstine. “After hearing about the plight of the Horan family and visiting them, we knew we had to offer some immediate assistance.”  Horan home team leaders Mary Jo, McCarthy secretary Dana Greaney and office manager/director of community services Linda Osborn along with project superintendent Steve Proffitt began soliciting McCarthy volunteers and donations of labor and supplies from their business partners. Within just three weeks, the Heart Hats had obtained over $1,700 in cash donations and enough labor and supplies to provide a significant home makeover. “When Mary Jo told me about the plans for our home and what she was about to launch, I was flabbergasted and just cried,”  said Elissa Horan. I thought, things like this don’t seem to happen, but still my prayers were answered. To this day, it is still unbelievable.”  Between February 15 and February 26, approximately 30 volunteers worked into the night to finish the home remodel. Some of the Horan’s neighbors even pitched in.

The project included: a new roof courtesy of Letner Roofing; electrical work by Berg Electric with light fixtures and labor by Briggs Electric; plumbing repairs and installation of new fixtures by Pan Pacific Plumbing; exterior paint by Koller Coatings and new windows for the master bedroom and front bath by Tower Glass. Tammie Smith provided interior design services and donations including tile for the shower and kitchen, furniture and funds for the family. Other interior renovations entailed: paint by RM Hasson, carpet and vinyl flooring from Progressive Flooring; closet and interior doors by REW, Inc.; tile installation from McCandless Tile; demolition of cabinets and flooring by Nuprecon; installation of the drywall by PCI Contracting as well as the installation of a granite sink/vanity for the main bathroom by McCarthy superintendents.

The team also cleaned the yard and conducted other landscape repairs.Elissa and Hailey Horan along with and Carrie Hirn-Horan in their kitchen that was just remodeled with donations of supplies, appliances and labor by volunteers from PCI, McCarthy Building Companies and interior designer Tammie Smith.

Additional donations included: a new Kenmore oven range from RW Smith; furniture and funds from volunteer Peggy Schlemmer and Chartreuse Home Furnishing; appliances and funds for a new children’s bedroom set, kitchen cabinets and the bathroom vanity from McCarthy employees; a new garage door from PJHM Architects, UCMI Inspection and GSO Overnite; mobile mini storage from Day Construction; lumber from JB Lumber; concrete for exterior landscape from J&M; a dumpster from Southern California Environment; lodging for the family from Ayres Hotel and cash donations from AO Reed, GSO Premiere, Martin Integrated and Seeley Bros.

“We were overwhelmed and grateful to the support received from the subcontracting community and suppliers within our short timeline,” said Mary Jo. “Elissa and Matt are such wonderful people. Even through all of their hardships, they are still joyful and optimistic. We hope our efforts help to ease some of the day-to-day burden for Elissa and Matt. Seeing the smile on little Hailey’s face when she went into her new pink Dora themed room definitely touched my heart.” Upon completion of the project, Elissa, Matt and Hailey explained what the remodel will do for their family and expressed their gratitude to the volunteers. “It’s like living in a new house,” said Elissa. “The plumbing and everything works.  I love my new kitchen and being able to take a shower in my master bath is incredible. The whole remodel is amazing, and I’m sure my healing process will go better now.”

Two year old Hailey Horan enjoys her new bedroom set and bright pink room that was remodeled by volunteers from McCarthy Building Companies and local subcontractors.

About McCarthy Heart Hats
The McCarthy “Heart Hats” community involvement program is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing McCarthy employees’ volunteer efforts in a variety of causes to ensure real needs are being met in communities where employees work, live and play.  McCarthy employees are as passionate about building better communities as they are about construction. In addition to recognizing outstanding employee volunteers and providing a company-wide paid volunteer day, McCarthy “Heart Hats” donates countless hours of in-kind services and monetary contributions to improve communities each year. Founded in 1864, McCarthy is one of the nation’s largest construction firms. In addition to Newport Beach, McCarthy has offices in San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco, Calif.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Dallas; St. Louis and Atlanta. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned.  More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.

Former Mayor and current council member Frank G. Fry spoke during the ceremony along with McCarthy Project Manager Blaze Bartoli. The event was both a thank you to the contractors and a tribute to the progress made thus far. The Chief of Police Andy Hall, Captain Mitch Waller, Captain Ron Coopman and Sgt. Brian Carpenter were in attendance along with several other dignitaries from the city of Westminster, construction workers and project consultants.

During the topping out event, the final steel beam was signed by event guests and an American flag and evergreen tree were attached to the beam before it was lifted and secured to the top of the police headquarters structure. Marking the mid-way point in the life of a construction project, the topping out tradition of attaching a tree and flag to the final structural beam has been practiced by construction workers for over 1000 years. The tree represents growth, life and good luck during the project and for the building’s future occupants. The flag is displayed as a patriotic symbol that signifies the united effort by the project team to achieve a common goal.

Westminster City Mayor Margie L. Rice was unable to attend the event, but McCarthy arranged for the beam to be lowered and signed by her after the event. Mayor Rice said she was honored and excited to sign the beam and to be included in this project milestone for the Police Headquarters, which is part of the overall revitalization plan for the Westminster Civic Center.

The $65 million (development cost) police headquarters project includes construction of a 91,000-square-foot police building housing an upgraded 911 communications center, a new forensic lab, increased evidence storage capacity, an Emergency Operations Center, a Type I jail facility and administrative work space. The project also includes site work such as driveways, surface parking, a sallyport, landscape and fire access lane improvements.

On schedule for completion in May 2011, the police building was designed by AECOM of Orange, Calif. to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Requirements.

The Westminster Police Department Headquarters is one of three police facilities McCarthy is currently constructing in partnership with Griffin Structures. McCarthy is serving as construction manager and Griffin Structures in the program manager. The other projects include a 62,064-square-foot police station in Buena Park, Calif., and a 55,000-square-foot police station in Hesperia, Calif.

About McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest commercial construction companies. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com.