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ENR 2022 New York ‘Project of the Year’ Awarded to Welliver

Welliver was presented with three significant industry awards at the ENR 2022 Regional Best Projects awards ceremony. The Cornell University North Campus Residential Expansion (NCRE) project was named the 2022 ENR Regional Best Project in the Higher Education/Research category, 2022 Excellence in Safety Award Winner, as well as the 2022 New York Project of the Year. ENR presented the awards in New York City on November 18, 2022.

NCRE was developed in anticipation of the University’s growing class size, coupled with Cornell’s commitment to provide underclassman with quality housing options on campus. Welliver provided preconstruction and construction services for this two‐phase, LEED Gold, 776,000 SF expansion of the student life residential complex.

“Welliver appreciates the long standing relationship we have with Cornell and the trust they have in us to construct their facilities such as the residential expansion project on campus,” said Anne Welliver-Hartsing, President. “This project showcases our capability to perform alongside national firms and successfully execute large projects; and the recognition by ENR with these awards is a testament to the hard work and expertise of our people.”

In collaboration with ikon.5 architects, the fast‐tracked project provides 2,000+ new beds for first year and sophomore students on Cornell’s residential North Campus. Both sites are composed of three to five story courtyard buildings that are sited and arranged to engage and respond to the adjacent campus, as well as enhance the student life experience. Students can collaborate and socialize in numerous lounges, meeting spaces, classrooms, and kitchens found throughout all five buildings. At the heart of NCRE is the new 58,230 SF Morrison Dining Hall (named 2022 Best New Facility by Food Management). This dining experience features 11 micro stations and a 2,400 SF Discovery Kitchen with 24 teaching stations used for academic classes and Cornell dining.

Throughout the process of awarding contracts, Welliver put emphasis on working with local contractors. During peak construction, NCRE employed more than 500 people creating opportunities for workers to stay close to home. This project provided over $192 million dollars of revenue to contractors in New York State.

“NCRE was one of, if not the, largest project executed by the companies who worked on it,” said Ben Robertson, Senior Project Manager. “I’m incredibly grateful to have collaborated with such a talented and determined team — designers, subcontractors, and the owner — who made this project possible and such a success.”

ENR’s Regional Best Projects Awards identifies and honors building teams behind outstanding design and construction efforts during the past year. Independent juries of industry leaders in design and construction from each of ENR’s 10 regional editions judge the projects using five criteria, including safety, innovation and teamwork.