Spring 2006 Newsletter

“Modernization at our schools is overdue and can be very challenging. McCarthy knows how to get the work done even in this busy market.”

— Leonard Tom, bond program manager, San Francisco Unified School District

Serving as construction manager, McCarthy is currently overseeing approximately $60 million of modernization work being completed for the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), the first public school district established in California. Funded under a city bond approved by voters in 2003, the two-part program includes ADA upgrades and related improvements at two elementary and three high schools. “Top quality school contractors in California are very busy now,” commented Leonard Tom, SFUSD bond program manager. “But, McCarthy’s reputation among the local contracting community and their team’s extra effort are helping to attract bidders on McCarthy managed projects. McCarthy is a construction manager and a builder, and this combination helps the District when preparing and soliciting bids, interpreting schedules and being able anticipate contractor needs.” Phased construction began in August 2005, and all improvements are on schedule to complete December 2008. Architects: VBN Architects, Oakland, Calif.; Beverly Prior Architects, San Francisco; Gelfand Partners Architects, San Francisco; Kendall Young Associates, San Francisco.

“McCarthy’s open approach to business mirrors our own.”

— Daniel R. Lee, chairman and chief executive officer, Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc..

On the banks of the Mississippi River in the shadow of the famed St. Louis Gateway Arch, construction is underway on a $350 million casino, hotel and spa project for Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. Work on the 220,000-square-foot casino started in September 2005. When the project is in full swing there will be four tower cranes doing the heavy lifting on site. “McCarthy’s bonding capacity and abilities to self perform and mobilize quickly were key reasons why we chose them,” commented Pinnacle’s Daniel Lee. When completed in 2007, the gaming complex will include a 200-room luxury hotel and spa, 12,000 square feet of meeting space and a 1400-car parking garage. At its peak, the project is expected to create 700 construction jobs, 1,300 permanent jobs, and an additional 2,500 ancillary service jobs in the region. Architects: Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK), St. Louis; Marnell Corrao Associates, Las Vegas.

“One of the reasons we chose McCarthy was their level of support. Although this was a relatively small project, I still had all the support that McCarthy offers on much larger ones.”

— Tom Piatt, director of hospital construction, Sentara Healthcare

Bounded on three sides by existing, 24/7 operating one-story structures (all at different elevations that had to be added onto vertically) and tying into nine separate horizontal expansions of the original hospital facility, McCarthy recently completed construction on a complex $29 million, four-story patient tower addition and expansion project for Sentara Healthcare. Positioning Sentara well for the future, the West Wing additions and renovations add a total of 108 private rooms to the facility, 46 of which are in the hospital’s new Heart Center. Also included was a new main entrance lobby (featuring a spectacular carved glass “Legacy Wall” tracing the hospital’s 40-year history) and significant utility plant upgrades. The Virginia Beach project is one of nine that McCarthy has built or will build for Sentara in Virginia’s Hampton Roads area. Architect: HDR, Omaha, Neb.

“McCarthy’s parking experience allowed the project to come together successfully, despite a number of challenges. The team was responsive and creative.”

— Bud Fischer, manager, NPW2390, LLC

Construction is complete for the new
$7.6 million, 149,000-square-foot parking structure with ground-floor retail space in the North Park area of San Diego. Developed by NPW2930, LLC, the 388-car, six-level structure serves patrons of the recently renovated North Park Theatre and nearby retail shops and restaurants. “The new parking structure is crucial to the continued redevelopment of the North Park area,” said Bud Fischer, manager of NPW2390, LLC. “McCarthy fulfilled our every expectation for the project and worked closely with us to meet our every need.” As one of the nation’s leading parking structure builders, McCarthy has built parking spaces for approximately 70,000 cars in California. Architect: International Parking Design, Irvine, Calif.

“Simply put, I don’t have to worry about jobs that McCarthy is working on.”

— Jeanette Polvani, assistant superintendent, Chandler Unified School District

Opening day for a new junior high school doesn’t change; even if a project is challenged by severe labor and building material shortages, one of the wettest winters in Arizona’s history or the fact that water and sewer had to be pulled from more than one-half a mile from the building site. On-going value engineering played a key role in McCarthy’s ability to meet its deadlines and Chandler’s fixed budget. Those efforts helped McCarthy deliver more than $90,000 in savings back to the district; most of those funds being used to add needed scope to the project. The $13 million junior high includes 120,000 square feet of one-story space featuring classroom, gym, multipurpose and administration buildings, as well as significant athletic facilities. “We had our challenges on this project, but McCarthy always came to the table with options rather than just a list of issues. Doing so allowed us to quickly make decisions and move on,” commented Chandler’s Jeanette Polvani. Over the last five years, McCarthy has completed or is in construction on more than $108 million in work at various Chandler USD facilities. Architect: The Orcutt Winslow Partnership, Phoenix.

“I have been very pleased with the ‘can do’ attitude of the McCarthy team and their ability to coordinate, plan for and react to any challenges.”

— Don Smith, project manager, Jacobs/Pegasus

Construction is nearly complete on the new $40 million Emmett J. Conrad High School in Dallas. The 330,000-square-foot project includes construction of 78 core classrooms; science, performing and visual arts, and instructional technology classrooms; media center, student dining and food service areas; administration and guidance areas; mechanical/electrical rooms and athletic fields. “It has been more than a few years since DISD constructed a new high school facility,” explained Phil Jimerson, associate superintendent, DISD Construction Services. “Our students deserve great learning environments, and students, teachers, and the community are happily anticipating the completion of Conrad High School.” This is McCarthy’s third project for DISD. McCarthy recently completed the $9 million renovation of Sunset High School and is completing the new $24 million Jack Lowe Sr. Elementary/Sam Tasby Middle School. Architect: SHW Group, LLP, Dallas. Program Manager: Jacobs/Pegasus, Dallas.

“McCarthy’s dedication to communication and their diligent preparations
led to the successful completion of our new headquarters.”

— Larry Unger, manager–facilities, The Golden 1 Credit Union

McCarthy recently completed The Golden 1 Credit Union’s new corporate headquarters, an approximately 200,000-square-foot, six-story, Class “A” office building. The Golden 1 Credit Union is California’s largest financial cooperative and the fourth largest credit union in the United States. The facility supports administrative, back office and operations staff including training facilities, call center, employee lunch room and 900 parking spaces. McCarthy developed an aggressive schedule to complete the project within the specified timeframe. “We are extremely excited to move into our new corporate headquarters,” said Larry Unger, manager–facilities for Golden 1. “Its location and design better accommodate our employees, and its architectural features, while economical, are reflective of our stature.” Architect: Ware Malcomb, West Sacramento, Calif.

“McCarthy took a great deal of ownership in the project and did an excellent job of communicating clearly with school representatives.”

— Dr. Robert Cunard, assistant principal, Newport Harbor High School

Renovation work was successfully completed at the 76-year-old Newport Harbor High School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. The $10.3 million project is one of the largest school renovations being conducted as a part of the $173.3 million Measure A School Facilities Improvement Program McCarthy is overseeing for the district. The program, which is scheduled to complete in 2006, will improve aging facilities at 28 separate school sites. The high school project included infrastructure improvements, ADA compliance upgrades as well as major renovation work on six different buildings on the campus, each offering unique challenges. Additionally, two new elevator towers were installed, one at an existing building and the other at a pedestrian bridge. To ease any construction inconvenience, McCarthy utilized extensive communication, phased staggered building openings, and scheduled the most disruptive work during school breaks. Architect: LPA, Inc., Irvine, Calif.