Phase I Done, Phase II Underway

Nearly 700 attendees enjoyed testing the facilities at the grand opening of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania. Three years in the making, phase one encompasses the 457-room eight-story hotel, the 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark with retractable roof, and the 65,000-square-foot convention center, along with an indoor family activity center, a variety of stores and restaurants, and an outdoor waterpark. This monumental project was not without challenges along the way, but our team successfully overcame them, including bedrock removal with extensive blasting, persevering two of the worst winters in the last 20 years, and completing major changes throughout the resort without extending the schedule. Today, the management team for Kraemer Brothers has phase two well under way, under the leadership of our project managers and onsite superintendents. To be completed in early 2017, phase two is an additional 100,000 square feet of indoor waterpark, convention space and over 400 guest rooms. According to Travis Nelson, son of Todd Nelson, Kalahari owner, when finished the entire resort will encompass 150 acres and carry the title, “America’s Largest Indoor Water Park.”

 

PHOTO CREDIT: WATER TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Five Projects Awarded

The Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin (ABC) recently announced that five of Kraemer Brothers’ latest projects will be honored for excellence in construction. Winning projects include the Promega Kepler Center, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Renovation, the Sauk Prairie Medical Clinics & Office Building, Kalahari Resort and Conventions – Poconos Mountains – Phase I, and the Sauk Prairie Schools 2020 Building Program. The ABC Projects of Distinction award banquet will be held in February. As their contribution to the award application, the owners and architects of these projects evaluated Kraemer Brothers’ performance with words of praise. The architect of the processing center, said, “Communications regularly held assured a network of relationships. This effectively resulted in a project with a minimal percentage of field changes, leading to the project’s on budget completion – in time and money.” The Sauk Prairie School District superintendent, said, “In all of my 37 years of leadership, teaching and serving in education, I have not experienced a more positive, knowledgeable and hard-working group of people.” Owner of the medical office said, “The integrity and attitude of Kraemer Brothers at all levels and types of their employees is unsurpassed. Their ‘can do’ and ‘will do’ spirit is universally supported throughout the firm.”

Schmitt Woodland Hills

HEALTHCARE PORTFOLIO

SCHMITT WOODLAND HILLS

Richland Center, WI

Overview

ARCHITECT

Community Living Solutions

Square Footage

53,000

SCHMITT WOODLAND HILLS

Retirement Community

Kraemer Brothers is close to completion of a new two-story addition to Schmitt Woodland Hills’ retirement home in Richland Center, an expansion that increases the number of residents from 25 to 50. We built the original facility in 1964, returned in 1982 to construct a two-story addition and were invited back in 1987 for another addition. All four projects required special scheduling and construction methods so as not to disturb the residents of the existing facilities. Today, the Schmitt Woodland Hills retirement community has grown to serve Richland area seniors with a full spectrum of services including house calls, independent- and assisted-living apartments, skilled nursing care, rehabilitation and therapy and transportation services.

RELATED

From the Client

Kraemer Brothers was exemplary as the general contractors on the project. The contract was a guaranteed maximum price, not to exceed contract. They were very good at keeping the contract price in line. Their workmanship was excellent. They kept the jobsite very clean and workman safety was a high priority on the project.

Kathleen A Zurawski
Former Architect | USDA Rural Development

Greenway Station

RETAIL PORTFOLIO

GREENWAY STATION

Middleton, WI

Overview

ARCHITECT

Gary Brink & Associates, Inc.

Square Footage

4,200

GREENWAY STATION

Lifestyle Retail Center

Over a decade after constructing the landmark, 11-building, 35-store Greenway Station retail center for RED Development in Middleton, the company selected us to return and construct an additional building to match the signature style of the development. Kraemer Brothers’ craftsmen installed the unique combination of high-end brick, stone and slate that was specified by RED for the one-story facility, located on the northeast corner of Greenway Blvd and Deming Way, with Noodles & Co. and another tenant as yet to be determined.

RELATED

Platteville Again Picks Kraemer Brothers

With a successful referendum passed last April, the Platteville School District selected Kraemer Brothers once again to build multiple projects for its school system in Platteville. Kraemer’s project leaders each are coming off successful school projects for Sauk Prairie and Fennimore. Next month they will break ground at Westview Elementary School for a large addition and renovation project. Next spring and summer there will be three additional projects at other schools in the city, including a renovation at Neal Wilkins Elementary, a renovation at the Middle School and renovations and an addition at the High School. The overall project is reminiscent of Kraemer Brothers’ last time working with Platteville School District when in 1997 additions and renovations were simultaneously completed for several schools, including the High School, Middle School, O.E Gray Elementary, Neal Wilkins Elementary and Westview Elementary. This major, multi-school project will be completed in time for the 2016-17 school year.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: PLATTEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Fennimore School District

EDUCATION PORTFOLIO

FENNIMORE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Fennimore, WI

Overview

ARCHITECT

HSR Associates

Square Footage

11,500 Renovation
27,000 Addition

FENNIMORE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Renovation/Expansion

After a successful referendum with 83% of voters supporting the referendum, Kraemer Brothers expanded the middle/high school to include grades 6 through 12 in a single facility. The 27,000 square foot addition and 11,500 square foot remodel was completed in August of 2015 before the opening of the school and includes eight classrooms, a competition-size gym, a wrestling room, a commons space, a cafeteria with an expanded serving kitchen, a secure entry adjacent to the main office, and ADA-compliant restrooms. Outside the initial scope of the project, Kraemer Brothers installed sprinklers throughout the existing facility, protecting over 56,000 square feet of a building previously lacking fire protection. Working collaboratively to address building code considerations, Kraemer Brothers provided value engineering options, ultimately saving over $986,000, a savings passed entirely to the school district! The project is intended to make a bold aesthetic statement while staying true to the original architecture, so materials were selected to match the existing building in order to create a seamless visual transition. 

12-Level Hotel Underway Downtown

Kraemer Brothers is constructing an AC Hotel by Marriott in downtown Madison one block from Capital Square on East Washington Street. Several months in the making, plans include demolishing three buildings to make way for a structure that will include two levels of underground parking and a 10-story hotel with 164 units. An elegant lounge for guests will be located on the top two floors and will include an outdoor patio overlooking the Capitol Building and Lake Monona. Like the AC Hotel currently under construction in Cincinnati, this hotel will feature modern European design and luxurious finishes. Its exterior design includes stone veneer and brick, a glass curtain wall system and metal panels, as well as a green roof. Challenges presented by the urban site include a lot-line-to-lot-line ground floor and multiple earth retention systems to support neighboring structures. Construction begins this month and will be complete in December 2016.

Busy at Summer School

A healthy dose of summertime school construction has the majority of Kraemer Brothers field crew completing projects for the upcoming school year. The newest project is a nine-week renovation at Sauk Prairie High School. A few blocks away, work on the new Bridges Elementary School is in the home stretch. A few miles to the west, the Tower Rock Elementary addition and remodel is being prepared to receive additional students and staff in the fall. Crews at Fennimore High School are ahead of schedule. With flooring in the addition structure underway, we are charging forward with the interior remodel phase. Finally, the UW’s new science building in Baraboo will be complete in August along with the rest of the schools. As CEO Tom Kraemer was heard to say, “To the disappointment of hundreds of thousands of youngsters, we have never missed a completion date on our school projects.”

Project Accolades

The Daily Reporter newspaper will honored Kraemer Brothers projects at its 16th annual Top Projects awards dinner on May 14 at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in downtown Milwaukee. The Promega da Vinci Building and Sauk Prairie Hospital projects are among more than 30 other notable projects from across the state that received recognition. These same projects also received Projects of Distinction awards last year from the Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin. In his evaluation of the da Vinci project, architect Steve Wellenstein praised Kraemer Brothers, saying, “There was never a need for me to intercede on the owner’s behalf on anything. Kraemer always approached any occurrence with what is in the best interest of the project, and never what is in the best interest of Kraemer.” In his evaluation of the hospital project, architect Matt Tendler said Kraemer Brothers was “very professional and collaborative during all phases of the project. They did what was best for our client, delivered a high quality project, and it was below budget and on time!” Congratulations to all involved, whether their projects receive public recognition or not; Kraemer Brothers’ clients are simply grateful we build each and every project at an award-winning level.

 

PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT MILWAUKEE

Glad to See You

Today Kraemer Brothers is participating in the annual AIA conference and exhibition at Monona Terrace in Madison where we are excited each year to touch base with architects we have worked with, are currently doing projects with, or who we look forward to teaming up with in the future. Architects represent one of the three main team members in any Kraemer Brothers construction project, the other two being the project owner and Kraemer. Events such as this are a great opportunity to share ideas and for Kraemer Brothers to offer our unique pre-construction and construction services. Please stop and say hello next time you see us at one of the many conventions around the state throughout the year. Recently, we exhibited at the April 22 cheese industry conference at the Alliant Center, the April 16 health care conference held at the Kalahari Resort in Lake Delton, and the March 19 assisted living conference, also at the Kalahari.