Messer Construction Tapped for $370M OSU Project; Review Shaves Budget by $26M

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Ohio State University announced last week that it has tapped Messer Construction Co. to lead the team of construction and design firms on the $370 million North Residential District renovation and expansion program. Construction is expected to start in July.

The project will add 3,200 new beds to the North Residential Area, bringing the total to 6,359. New dining facilities, recreation facilities and other support facilities will support the university’s Second-year Transformational Experience (STEP) Program.

When Ohio State’s trustees approved the plan last August, the project carried a $396 million price tag. A competitive review process that started in early December has trimmed $26 million from that estimate, and additional savings could emerge during final design.

“The time and effort we put into this review process allowed us to work with industry experts to identify efficiencies in construction techniques and scheduling that will not only save a significant amount of money, but will also allow us to deliver facilities that will enhance the student experience, including the new Second-year Transformational Experience Program,” said Jay Kasey, the university’s senior vice president for administration and planning at Ohio State. “We are dedicated to keeping costs affordable for students while delivering an exceptional product.”

The team led by Cincinnati-based Messer Construction includes Miles-McClellan Construction, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Brailsford & Dunlavey, HKS Inc., Schooley Caldwell Associates, KZF Design Inc., Heapy Engineering, Shelley Metz Baumann Hawk, Korda Nemeth Engineering, and MKSK. Completion is scheduled for fall 2016, when the university will require sophomores as well as freshmen to live on campus.

Rendering: Ohio State University