James G. McConnell

The successful proposer on this $100 million design/build, construction manager at risk project had recently been acquired by a much larger national construction conglomerate. The financial responsibility requirements of the bid documents were supported only by the consolidated financial statements of the acquiring parent corporation. In order to meet the city colleges' financial qualification requirements, Mr. McConnell negotiated and drafted a performance guarantee from the acquiring parent corporation.

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About These Photos

New Kennedy King Community College consists of six buildings with half a million square feet of floor space, situated on a 40 acre campus in the heart of Chicago's south side Englewood neighborhood. The project was built using 89 minority and women owned subcontractors and suppliers, with 47% of the project expenditure going to minority and women owned trades. Of the construction workers employed on the site, 60% were minorities.

Built to deliver twenty first century skills and education to both full time and part time students from all over Chicago, the campus includes:

• A first class administration building.

• A child care building to accommodate students who have already started families.

• An academic building with 22 classrooms, 19 laboratories and 55 faculty offices.

• A broadcast and culinary building with a teaching restaurant, a 450 seat dining hall and studios for Kennedy King's television and radio stations.

• An athletic facility with outdoor playing fields, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, dance studio, wrestling room, weight room and 43 offices.

• An applied sciences building with teaching shops for skilled trades including automotive technology, auto body repair, HVAC construction, printing, and welding.

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Lessons Learned:

Sometimes bigger is better.