This year’s regional Best Projects competition drew more than 100 entries from contractors, design firms and project stakeholders across Texas and Louisiana.

The winners represent a wide array of construction projects finished in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas between July 1, 2014, and June 30, 2015.

A key component of the contest, the Excellence in Safety award, is now in its fourth year, with more than 50 entries considered for that honor. The panel of safety judges recognized one Excellence in Safety winner and five merit winners. Each of the projects has an outstanding safety record and innovative, jobsite-specific safety and health programs.

Seventeen projects won Best Project awards in their respective categories. Those projects will advance to the national competition to be considered for one of ENR’s Best of the Best awards.

An independent panel of judges, representing diverse fields of expertise, selected 41 winners across 18 categories, described in detail in the following pages. The judges were charged with honoring only those projects and project teams that found creative solutions to unique, daunting or often unforeseen challenges.

Choosing a Project of the Year for the region proved to be a special challenge for this year’s judges, who selected three finalists: The George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center (Best Project, Cultural/Worship), IP Casino Dry Dock (Best Project, Renovation/Restoration) and BASF Corp. Emulsion Polymers Production Plant (Best Project, Energy/Industrial). The judges’ final selection for 2015 Project of the Year was the IP Casino Dry Dock.

The project descriptions on the following pages detail the challenges and innovations behind each of the winning projects and what unique steps the teams took to bring the work to conclusion.

ENR Texas & Louisiana 2015 Project of the Year
IP Casino Dry Dock, Biloxi, Miss.
Submitted by Thompson Engineering

Airports/Transit
Best Project: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Terminal A Phase II Renovation and Improvement
Submitted by Balfour Beatty Construction

Award of Merit: Houston Metro Light Rail Expansion, Houston
Submitted by Parsons

Cultural/Worship
Best Project: The George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, New Orleans
Submitted by DonahueFavret Contractors Inc.

Energy/Industrial
Best Project: BASF Corp. Emulsion Polymers Production Plant, Freeport, Texas
Submitted by Zachry Group

Award of Merit: EnwaveUSA Biomedical District Steam Plant, New Orleans
Submitted by Burns & McDonnell

Government/Public Buildings
Best Project: Town of Highland Park, Town Hall & DPS, Highland Park, Texas
Submitted by Lee Lewis Construction Inc.

Award of Merit: City of Georgetown Public Safety Operations & Training Facility, Georgetown, Texas
Submitted by Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Green Project
Best Project: Dearing Elementary School, Pflugerville, Texas
Submitted by Bartlett Cocke General Contractors

Award of Merit: Cedar Bayou Restoration, Rockport, Texas
Submitted by Hatch Mott MacDonald

Health Care
Best Project: Sierra Providence East Medical Center, El Paso, Texas
Submitted by Robins & Morton

Award of Merit: Methodist Orthopedic Specialist of Texas Building, Sugar Land, Texas
Submitted by Linbeck Group LLC

Higher Education
Best Project: Tulane School of Social Work, New Orleans
Submitted by DonahueFavret Contractors Inc.

Award of Merit: University of Tulsa Helmerich Center for the American Research at Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Okla.
Submitted by Hastings+Chivetta Architects

Award of Merit: Rees-Jones Hall, Fort Worth, Texas
Submitted by Linbeck Group LLC

Highways/Bridges
Best Project: North Tarrant Express (NTE) Segments 1 &2W, Texas
Submitted by Ferrovial Agroman US Corp.

Award of Merit: US 281 Cast-In-Place Segmental Bridge over Lake Marble Falls, Marble Falls, Texas
Submitted by Archer Western

K-12 Education
Best Project: HEB ISD Career and Technical Education Academy, Bedford, Texas
Submitted by Lee Lewis Construction Inc.

Landscape/Hardscape
Award of Merit: McGovern Centennial Gardens Hermann Park, Houston
Submitted by Slack & Co Contracting

Award of Merit: Ruston Streetscape Enhancement Project, Ruston, La.
Submitted by HGA

Manufacturing
Best Project: Bell Helicopter Aircraft Assembly Facility, Lafayette, La.
Submitted by BE&K Building Group, Houston

Award of Merit: Nebraska Furniture Mart – Texas, The Colony, Texas
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.

Office/Retail/Mixed-Use
Best Project: G.T. Mickey Leland Federal Building, Houston
Submitted by Gensler

Award of Merit: Riata Vista Phase I, Austin
Submitted by Cadence McShane Construction Co. LLC

Award of Merit: Southwestern Energy, Spring, Texas
Submitted by Gensler

Award of Merit: Bandera Preston Tower, Dallas
Submitted by Austin Commercial

Renovation/Restoration
Best Project: IP Casino Dry Dock, Biloxi, Miss.
Submitted by Thompson Engineering

Award of Merit: Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School, New Orleans
Submitted by CORE Construction

Award of Merit: Francis Hall Renovation, College Station, Texas
Submitted by Satterfield & Pontikes Construction Inc.

Residential/Hospitality
Best Project: East Texas Baptist University Centennial Hall, Marshall, Texas
Submitted by JE Dunn Construction

Award of Merit: Hebron 121 Station Phase II, Lewisville, Texas
Submitted by Jordan Foster Construction

Safety
Best Project: North Tarrant Express (NTE) Segments 1 &2W
Submitted by Ferrovial Agroman US Corp.

Award of Merit: BOP Repair Transfer of Work to Broussard, LA
Submitted by The Lemoine Co. LLC

Award of Merit: Galveston Jetties
Submitted by Conti Federal Services Inc.

Award of Merit: Lena Pope - New Campus, Fort Worth, Texas
Submitted by Bennett Benner Partners Architects + Planners

Award of Merit: Nebraska Furniture Mart - Texas
Submitted by Turner Construction Co.

Award of Merit: Parkland Logistics Center
Submitted by Byrne Construction Services

Small Projects
Best Project: Lena Pope - New Campus, Fort Worth, Texas
Submitted by Bennett Benner Partners Architects + Planners

Award of Merit: Joeris General Contractors New Corporate Office, San Antonio
Submitted by Joeris General Contractors Ltd.

Award of Merit: Fair Plaza Garage, Tyler, Texas
Submitted by Manhattan Construction Co.

Specialty Contracting
Best Project: Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Re-Roof, New Orleans
Submitted by Roofing Solutions

Award of Merit: Baylor Stadium, Dallas
Submitted by Chamberlin Roofing & Waterproofing

Award of Merit: Robert W. Baker Integrated Operations Center, Fort Worth, Texas
Submitted by Walker Engineering Inc.

Sports/Entertainment
Best Project: Tulane University Yulman Stadium, New Orleans
Submitted by Woodward Design+Build

Award of Merit: Alamo Stadium & Convocation Center Renovations, San Antonio, Texas
Submitted by Joeris General Contractors Ltd.

Water/Environment
Best Project: Galveston Jetties, (Galveston, Freeport, Matagorda, Brazos Island, Sabin-Neches Waterway, Texas City)
Submitted by Cont Federal Services, Inc.

Award of Merit: Austin Water Treatment Plant No.4, Austin, Texas
Submitted by MWH Constructors Inc.

Award of Merit: South Wastewater Treatment Plant Wet Weather Improvements-Phase II, Baton Rouge
Submitted by Brasfield & Gorrie LLC