ENR Midwest’s 2015 Best Projects awards display the vast range, creativity, ingenuity and skill of the engineering and construction industry. In the past year, the rebuild of a tornado-devastated city’s sole hospital was completed, two zoos added exhibits, a historic landmark building was modernized, a critical rail yard was expanded and a Chicago high-rise left for dead in the wake of the Great Recession was reimagined and completed.

Candidates demonstrated accomplishments in innovation; contribution to the community; quality and craftsmanship; function and aesthetic design quality; and, of course, safety. One project earned top safety honors from a special judges’ panel.

ENR Midwest is grateful to the panelists, who donated their time to review entries and patiently collaborated as a jury to select the winning projects. All winning projects here will advance to compete against projects in other regions in ENR’s national Best of the Best Projects competition. Congratulations to this year’s winners.

ENR Midwest Best Projects Judges

Shawn Anderton, vice president, Graycor Industrial Contractors

C. Neal Burnett, operations manager, Midwest Constructors

Greg Douglas, vice president, Miron Construction Co.

Sam Mishelow, chief strategy officer, Meyer Najem Corp.

Paul Parry, prinicpal, KJWW Engineering Consultants

David M. Polzin, principal, CannonDesign

ENR Midwest Safety Award Judge

Jeff Emerick, director of safety and compliance, Ozinga Ready-Mix Concrete

Sam Mishelow, chief strategy officer, Meyer Najem Corp.