BJC Healthcare to do $1.2 Billion rebuilding with union contractors

BJC complimented for keeping work at home

The St. Louis construction trades received an early Christmas present with the announcement late last week that a consortium of three St. Louis union contractors have won a $1.2 Billion construction project from BJC Healthcare for renovation of their entire 16- block Central West End campus.

“This is fantastic news for our union members who bring the talents and work ethic that we are known for nationwide to this important effort for St. Louis,” said Jeff Aboussie, executive secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Construction Trades Council.

Winning a national competition for the work is the ACW Alliance composed of Alberici Corp., Clayco Corp. and S. M. Wilson & Co., all top-flight union contractors. The Alliance has worked with BJC for some time, most recently completing an 11-story, $206 million BJC Institute of Health at Washington University and currently at the BJC’s Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis County.

“With unemployment hovering around 17 percent in our trades, this is going to mean millions of manhours of work for every craft,” Aboussie stressed. “Our men and women need the work. It can’t start too soon.”

Aboussie also complimented BJC for keeping the work in St. Louis. “Our trades and contractors have done a lot of work with BJC. They understand the quality and productivity of our tradesmen and the competitiveness of our union contractors who are able to use the skills of union workers to their best advantange.”

BJC Healthcare plans to renew its entire campus that includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, a projected total of 1.5 million square feet of new construction and 266,000 feet renovating existing space.  As part of the project, the MetroLink’s Central West End station will also be totally revamped.

The starting date for work will be announced within the next several months.