Photo: Simon Contractors

Reconstruction of the Cheyenne Airport runway rehabed the 150-ft-wide and 6,690-ft-long Runway 13-31.

Photo: Mortenson Construction

The Wilderness Road Brigade Battalion Headquarters Building at Fort Carson is a 138,000-sq-ft facility that will house one large brigade, one medium battalion and five large battalions.

The project consisted of removing the remaining 50-ft-wide concrete shoulders, rotomilling the worn course, totally removing a 1,300-ft portion of the runway to construct a vertical-grade correction and placing a two-in. asphalt overlay over the entire runway.

The runway was reopened in October and will get a final painting in the spring.

Officials at the Denver Zoo broke ground in December for Asian Tropics, the largest exhibit in the zoo’s history, designed to serve as a conservation center supporting endangered Asian species, including elephants, Malayan tapirs and Indian rhinoceroses.

Occupying 10 acres on the southern edge of the zoo, Asian Tropics is an expansive $50-million complex that will allow visitors to explore the rich history of animals in an Asian culture, their complicated relationships with humans and the efforts of Denver Zoo and its partners around the world to protect their futures for generations to come.

Designed as an environmentally conscious, sustainable animal exhibit, Asian Tropics will follow the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED system and may become the first major animal exhibit complex to be LEED certified. The project will incorporate a variety of sustainable features such as the use of recycled water, efficient HVAC systems and natural daylighting and ventilation.

Kiewit Building Group has been selected as the general contractor to construct the largest project in Denver Zoo’s 113-year history. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.

Mortenson Construction, with offices in Denver and Colorado Springs, has been selected as the design-builder for the $27.3-million Wilderness Road Brigade Battalion Headquarters Building at the Fort Carson Army Post in Colorado Springs.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District made the selection. The project was awarded under a Northwest Division Multiple Award Task Order Contract.

The project will house one large brigade, one medium battalion and five large battalions, providing space for administrative and command operations. Construction of the 138,000-sq-ft facility will begin in February with completion scheduled for February 2011.

As part of the BBHQ project, Mortenson will pursue LEED-Gold certification above the requirement of LEED Silver; utilize rooftop mechanical systems for extra interior square footage; install a solar water-heating system; use a precast concrete exterior for durability and blast resistance; implement an accelerated schedule to deliver the project early and produce a proactive site-coordination plan.

People/Firms

MCINTIRE

Lee A. McIntire, president and CEO of Denver-based CH2M Hill, was elected chairman of the board of directors, effective Jan. 1. He assumed the role from interim chairman Jerry Geist, an outside director.

McIntire joined CH2M Hill as president and COO in February 2006. In January 2009, the board of directors appointed McIntire as the chief executive officer. McIntire has more than 30 years of international experience in the engineering and construction industry.

COIT

He also lends his leadership to several organizations, including the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, the Council on Competitiveness, Aspen Institute’s Dialogue and Commission on Arctic Climate Change, the National Petroleum Council, the World Business Council on Sustainable Development and advisory boards for several academic institutions.

Lynn Coit, principal and founding partner of BOX Studios of Denver, recently received the 2009 Woman of Vision Benefactor Award from Colorado Real Estate Women of Denver. Coit was honored for using her professional skills to serve philanthropic interests.