| ST. LOUIS, MO – Minority-owned and women-owned businesses received more than half of the contract dollars for the $33 million Central Riverfront Project of the CityArchRiver renovation at the Gateway Arch, according to Kwame Building Group (KWAME), the construction management firm monitoring and reporting Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation.
For this portion of the CityArchRiver renovation at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, four DBE firms hold six of ten contracts that Great Rivers Greenway issued, with a total value of approximately $27 million. Minority-owned businesses (MBE) received 31.8% of the work and women-owned businesses (WBE) received 18.7% for a total 50.5% DBE participation. Local St. Louis companies were awarded $23 million in contracts. The $380 million CityArchRiver 2015 renovation will link downtown St. Louis, the Gateway Arch and the Mississippi River riverfront into one destination by connecting, invigorating and expanding the park’s grounds and museums. This specific project elevated Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd. by two-and-a-half feet to reduce flooding by 60%, and added dedicated walking and biking paths to the riverfront street. These paths are part of the larger network of greenways that Great Rivers Greenway is building to connect St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The project was split into 10 project packages to encourage local and DBE companies to bid. DBE goals for the 10 bid packages include: Workforce diversity goals for the project follow the Department of Labor Federal Workforce Goals for the City of St. Louis, which are 14.7% minority workers and 6.9% female workers per craft. CityArchRiver is a collaboration of the CityArchRiver Foundation, the National Park Service, Great Rivers Greenway District, the Missouri Department of Transportation and the City of St. Louis. KWAME’s contract is with Great Rivers Greenway. The project began in December, 2013 and is expected to complete by August 31, 2015. KWAME is monitoring DBE contracts and subcontracts as well as minority and female workforce participation on the project, providing periodic summary reports on monitoring and outreach efforts, and recommending actions to achieve or exceed established DBE goals. Kwame Building Group, Inc. (KWAME is an employee-owned pure program and construction management firm providing estimating, scheduling, project planning, value engineering and other project management services as an independent advocate for owners and developers. KWAME was named a 2013 “Construction Management-for-Fee Firm” by Engineering News Record, the construction industry’s leading news and analysis publication; and was selected as one of RCGA’s "Top 50 Companies in the St. Louis Region.” KWAME’s public and private sector projects include educational facilities, major airports nationwide, light-rail systems, hospitals, wastewater treatment facilities and government facilities. KWAME is headquartered in St. Louis with division offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Seattle. For more information, visit www.kwamebuildinggroup.com or call 314.862.5344. # # #
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Source: Kwame Building Group – News