Campus News

UK President Hosts Breakfast for Construction Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 13, 2013) — Some 400 construction workers joined University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto, representatives of developer EdR, general contractor Messer Construction, architects Sherman Carter Barnhart, and subcontractors for an outdoor breakfast Monday morning on the lawn across from the brand new Central Hall I and Central Hall II living and learning facilities on the UK campus.

"I am very grateful to the entire team of people who have turned this vision into reality in a period of some 18 months," Capilouto said. "From my colleagues here at UK including faculty and staff, deans and administrators, to our partners EdR, Sherman Carter Barnhart, and Messer, and to all of the dedicated workers, what a tremendous example of people pulling together. For these last several weeks, the talented men and women constructing these marvelous additions to our campus have worked with precision seven days a week, 10 hours a day, a record-breaking pace, so that our students will get to enjoy an incredible living and learning experience beginning this semester."

In all, 603 workers — 74 percent from Kentucky — including architects, engineers, interior designers, electricians, bricklayers, painters, plumbers, carpenters, and others, toiled to complete the project. Along the way, they collectively paid nearly $400,000 in new state and local taxes.

"We believe it is important to employ local contractors and construction workers," said Robert Williams, vice president of Messer Construction. "These local employees bring a tremendous sense of pride to their jobs every day while also making a huge economic impact on the area. We feel very blessed to be a part of the housing advancements going on here at UK."

In addition to Central I and II, Messer currently is involved in several other campus building projects, including more new residence halls which are scheduled to come online in 2014-15.

Speaking on behalf of the team of builders and craftsmen working on Central I and II, Keenan Weir, a Messer construction superintendent with more than 30 years of local experience, said, "It's been a fun and challenging job. It's very rewarding to see it all come together so beautifully. This is a place that UK students are really going to enjoy being a part of."

Weir added, "Being that this is for UK, we all will take extra pride in showing this project to our loved ones, especially our children and grandchildren."

These two residence halls will house a total of 601 students and will serve as the new home for UK's Honors program. The new construction is being financed through EdR's On-Campus Equity Plan and uses no state tax dollars. A ribbon cutting for Central I and II will be held at the site at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 16.

MEDIA CONTACT: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@uky.edu.