Manhattan Construction awarded for two Oklahoma City projects

Oklahoma-based and Chamber member Manhattan Construction Company has been awarded the 2022 Best Engineering News-Record Regional Project Award of Merit for two Oklahoma City projects. 

An independent panel of architecture, engineering and construction industry experts selected award winners from nearly 100 projects entered across 18 categories in the regional competition. 

Manhattan Construction Company received the 2022 Best Projects merit award in the Government/Public Building category for its work on the Oklahoma City Convention Center Parking Garage, as well as a 2022 Best Projects award merit in the Renovation/Restoration category for its work on the Oklahoma State Capitol interior restoration.  

"Receiving recognition for these projects reinforces nationally that Oklahoma taxpayers, businesses and community leaders recognize the value of supporting projects that are so instrumental to economic growth in the state," Craig Abbott, vice president of Manhattan Construction's Oklahoma City office said.

"It shows that the nation is seeing the great things happening here in Oklahoma City."

The parking garage project includes six floors consisting of 413,360 square feet and over 1,000 parking spaces. The project also incorporates a three-sided artwork of 88,000 color plexiglass tiles designed by Martin Donlin. 

"The most unique thing about the convention center parking garage is its iconic façade consisting of almost 90,000, 4 inch by 4 inch, colored polycarbonate panels."

"The piece titled 'What is the City but the People' was inspired by the rich histories and multitude of people that unified to make Oklahoma City what it is today," Abbott said.   

The Capitol restoration project reinvigorated 400,000 square feet of the state building. Backbone infrastructure like the mechanical, engineering and plumbing systems, as well as the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were replaced. A climate control system was added for the rotunda and public access and security at the new visitor entrance were improved. The construction company developed a single-move strategy to avoid constant relocation of occupants, resulting in savings that were then applied to essential infrastructure systems.  

"Significant renovation work was scheduled around legislative sessions while keeping the facility open to the public."

"The state Capitol restoration project was unique in how our team collaborated with 13 using agencies that call the Capitol home. It was imperative that new construction maintained historical accuracy," Abbott said.

The Manhattan team worked in tandem with Frankfurt-Short-Bruza as a design and build partner on the Capitol renovations, and with Tapp Architecture as the architect and Kimley-Horn as the structural engineer on the garage project.

Manhattan Construction Company is an award-winning, fifth-generation family-owned company in Oklahoma that provides pre-construction, construction management, program management, general building and design-build services throughout the Americas.