Olympia Development Recommends Barton Malow-Hunt-White As General Contractor For New Events Center

DETROIT, April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Olympia Development of Michigan (ODM) today submitted to the Downtown Development Authority Board for its review and approval the recommendation of Barton Malow-Hunt-White as general contractor for the new Detroit events center.  The DDA board is scheduled to consider and vote on the recommendation at a meeting on Wednesday, April 9, at 3 p.m.

Barton Malow-Hunt-White is an industry leader in sports and entertainment construction.  Notable projects by team members include Ford Field, Comerica Park, the expansion and renovation of The University of Michigan Football Stadium, Detroit Riverfront, Detroit Medical Center Pediatric Specialty Center and Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida.

As part of the construction, Barton Malow-Hunt-White will implement the workforce and business participation plan.  The comprehensive plan was created by ODM, with input from the City of Detroit Ethics and Human Rights Office, Detroit Employment Solutions, and the local construction trade unions.  Included in the plan are outreach, training and apprentice programs to ready the current and future work force of Detroit for construction job opportunities. The construction of the entire events center, residential and commercial mixed-use district will create approximately 8,300 jobs. The building of the new events center alone is anticipated to create approximately 5,500 jobs with more than half of those construction jobs being filled by Detroit residents and over $100 million being paid to Detroit-resident workers. 

The new events center is the anchor of the $650 million public-private catalyst development project that will redevelop an underutilized area in downtown Detroit into a mixed-use development of residential, retail and office space. Of the project costs, ODM will contribute $367 million or 56% and the State of Michigan and the DDA will contribute $283 million or 44%.  It is expected that the project's economic impact on Detroit, the region and State will be $1.8 billion.

SOURCE Olympia Development of Michigan