Mortenson Awarded NAIOP Award of Excellence for Blake School Addition

Minneapolis, MN - Mortenson's Minneapolis office is proud to announce the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) has awarded Mortenson the Award of Excellence, Special Purpose Facility category for The Blake School Highcroft Campus addition.  The Award serves to recognize exceptional developments by NAIOP members, with winners selected by a panel of twenty independent judges who toured and rated projects in various categories last fall.

The Blake School’s Highcroft Campus addition, designed by architect James Dayton Design Ltd., is a private K-5 elementary school located in Wayzata, Minnesota.  The three-level addition provides a focus on the arts, with large spaces provided for drama, music, and art classrooms. Additionally, a new computer lab, pre-kindergarten space, and an outdoor classroom is included with a landscaped bowl surrounding a concrete teaching patio.

Mortenson has enjoyed a 13-year working history at The Blake School completing ten projects at all three campus locations. As the construction manager for the Highcroft addition, the team delivered this facility like no other.

Mortenson superintendent, Mark Schrom, had a unique opportunity to be a “teacher” at The Blake School. Since construction sounds and sites can be exciting and somewhat confusing to elementary students, Mark held weekly presentations to discuss what was happening outside their windows. The students took great interest and soon started to refer to Mark as “Mr. Mark” and drew him pictures of cranes and hard hats. Students also brought home-made treats for the project’s team.  “Perks of the job,” jokes Bill Igel, Mortenson’s project manager. “This was an exceptional project on so many levels especially the interaction the team has had with the school design team, students, and the community."