Tag: The University of Alabama

University of Alabama’s Randall Welcome Center Opens Doors

Posted on January 24, 2024

The Randall Welcome Center

The University of Alabama held a ceremony on Friday, January 19th to commemorate the opening of the Randall Welcome Center. Attendees included Governor Kay Ivey, former Senator Richard Shelby and many of the university’s most influential leaders and administrators. The 15,000-square-foot welcome center comprises the first level of the historic Peter Bryce Main facility and will serve as the “front door to campus” for all who visit. Inside the facility are numerous interactive elements designed to provide prospective students with a glimpse into campus life. From academics to athletics, guests are guaranteed to enjoy an immersive display of the UA culture.

 “This is where students and families will be introduced to the University of Alabama”, said University President, Dr. Stuart Bell.  “This is where they will begin to understand the University of Alabama and all that it has to offer.” 

HPM collaborated with UA to achieve their vision of a strategic restructuring of the historic facility, originally constructed in 1861. Seeking to preserve defining characteristics of the original architecture, HPM managed every detail with care. The project team provided comprehensive services ranging from preconstruction to move management, all with students in mind.

The Randall Family

The welcome center is aptly named in honor of Dr. Catherine J. Randall and her late husband, Pettus Randall. The Randall family is beloved among the University of Alabama community, known for their commitment to generous hospitality.  Catherine was delighted to share her enthusiasm for the project with the hundreds of UA alumni, students and faculty who gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.  

“This welcome center is so state-of-the-art, so exciting, that I can hardly wait to see the faces of the students who are going to come here and get their first glimpse of what a difference can be made in their life by the University of Alabama.”  

HPM and UA

HPM’s relationship with the University of Alabama began two decades ago in 2004. For 20 years, HPM has worked with the university on construction and renovations across campus. From residence halls to athletic complexes to academic facilities, HPM has an established history of managing capital projects on the Capstone’s behalf.

A Matter of Trust

Posted on April 13, 2022

 

Over the past 15 years, HPM has proudly assisted the University of Alabama in the execution of an ongoing capital development program totaling over $2.2 billion. We have worked alongside the university on unique projects that range from academic buildings to athletic facilities.

“One of the values that HPM brings to the table is our flexibility and our ability to adapt as we work with clients,” said Joshua Bollinger, HPM Senior Project Manager. “We’re able to take our history and knowledge in the industry and apply those directly to meet our client’s needs.”

HPM has guided extremely demanding construction projects to build extremely high-tech science and engineering facilities that must sustain marine life and withstand earthquake-level forces. We’ve expanded a stadium to seat record numbers of passionate fans. We’ve managed the construction of stylish, comfortable residence halls to house hundreds of students and still feel like home. We have helped to upgrade infrastructure to support it all, and we consider it an honor to have such a significant role in the university’s growth.

university of alabama lakes

“[HPM] has a different mindset,” said Senior Program Manager Brad Cook. “We were formed from a construction company and we know how to get things done and deliver a project that they can basically throw their hands up and say ‘this is exactly what we wanted. You make it look easy.”

Much of this relies on our strong collaborative relationship with the university — they’re open to innovative approaches to scheduling, packaging, and budgeting. Together, we deliver high-quality projects quickly, safely, on budget, and with minimal disruption.

“We can, as an entire company, provide lots of resources and expertise,” said Project Manager Mary Kathryn Holt. “We can pull from preconstruction services when we need those services. It’s not just about what the on-site personnel offer, but we offer the resources of our company as a whole.”

 

 

 

HPM’s Higher Ed Portfolio

A Legacy Lives On: Giving a Storied Residence Hall a New Place to Call Home

Posted on February 8, 2021

Not only do residence halls house college students, they also house fond memories and mark the beginning of lifelong friendships and connections. Some historic residence halls have even housed generations over the years, making living in them a family tradition. When alumni visit these halls, they are reminded of so many memories from their college years and feel emotionally connected to their former homes which will always hold a special place in their hearts.

Tutwiler–one of these historic residence halls is located on the campus of the University of Alabama and is being rebuilt to house even more students and memories.

According to HPM President Mike Lanier, “To my memory, this is the single largest publicly bid project HPM has ever managed in our 22+ year history.”

The HPM preconstruction team and the University’s project teams have collaborated on this project over the last three years.

“The teams started working together on the project from its conception and are dedicated to ensuring the project is on schedule for completion and move-in ready for University students for the fall of 2022,” said Trent Hall, Senior Project Manager.

The five-story replacement to the historic residence hall includes a project budget of more than $140 million. It will exceed 300,000 square-feet and house 1,200+ freshman female students.

“The University and our team worked tirelessly cultivating the market for general contractors and subcontractors to bid the project in this overheated market we are all in, canvassing regionally trying to get qualified firms to pursue the project,” Lanier said. “Through it all they stuck to who we are and what we do at HPM day in and day out: evaluate, analyze, strategize, advise, listen, and counsel, but mostly lead.”

The Tutwiler residence hall will include double-occupancy units and community-style living spaces, and a feature of the residence hall will include keyless entry to the building. Additionally, the residence hall will include a food service venue, a storm shelter, and satellite Housing and Residential Community offices. Furthermore, furnishings are included in the project to fully equip all residence rooms, common areas, peripherals, and offices.  Construction of the new residence hall began this fall and is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2022 fall semester.

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