Tarrant County College District (TCCD) has selected three leading North Texas construction firms to lead the redevelopment of its SE Campus.
Fort Worth’s Byrne Construction Services and Potere Construction and Dallas’ Hunt Construction Group were chosen based on their extensive experience and record of success, TCC said in a news release.
The firms also demonstrated a particular commitment to the local community and to ensuring diversity and inclusion throughout all stages of the project. Under the contract, the firms will manage the construction of new building additions as well as the full renovation of existing structures, the release said.
“The Tarrant County MWBE construction and subcontractor community is the ultimate award winner represented by this JV Team,” said Andre McEwing, TCC Supplier Diversity Manager. “The award of the TCC SE Campus CMAR project to the Byrne/Potere/Hunt JV Team represents a qualified locally diverse and inclusive construction management team representing 45% of MWBE Prime contractors (Byrne/Potere). Beyond this, they have also committed to building the MWBE subcontractor capacity with a 30% MWBE subcontractor goal. This is a tremendous moment that the entire TCC community is proud of.”
Both Byrne and Potere are certified Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) and have a heightened awareness of the significance of diverse and inclusive practices.
Potere is highly recognized within the industry as a leader in advancing diverse and inclusive practices and expanding opportunities for M/WBE companies and talent.
Collectively, all three firms have developed strategies for expanding diversity and inclusion during the TCCD project, including in subcontracting, and both preconstruction and construction phases, the announcement said.
The firms’ track records highlight not only their commitment to maximizing the participation of HUBs, but their success at doing so – the teams consistently exceed established goals of M/WBE participation rates.
Fort Worth’s Black and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce praised the selection of the Bryne/Potere/Hunt team, noting the significance in advancing diversity, equity and MWBE inclusion.
“When we supported the last Tarrant County College District bond election, I addressed the board of trustees and espoused the need for practicing ‘buy local,’ which naturally suggests the concepts of diversity and inclusion,” said Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Devoyd Jennings.
“This contracting arrangement goes further because it supports equity through this joint venture agreement. We are so proud of the staff and trustees of TCCD for accepting our challenge to build ‘local minority contracting capacity’ that is needed in Fort Worth/Tarrant County with Sharon Douglas, a longtime member of our Chamber,” Jennings said.
Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Anette Landeros also praised the decision.
“The Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber is thrilled to celebrate the selection of Bryne, Potere, and Hunt for the TCCD Southeast Campus project. Bryne and Potere are homegrown talent that serve as inspirational examples of hard work, integrity, and collaborative spirit,” she said.
“These two MWBEs are rising to new levels of success and have committed to bringing the whole community with them. Congratulations to all three partners on this well-earned local opportunity that I’m certain will set a strong example of what collaboration can accomplish,” Landeros said.
Collectively, Byrne, Potere and Hunt have successfully completed hundreds of similar education projects throughout the state.
Hunt Construction Group alone has run 74 higher education projects over the past decade, and more than 44% of its annual project volume is in the higher education sector. Byrne built TCCD’s SE Campus’s original building in the mid 1990s and its recently completed Learning Commons Project, as well as multiple other projects throughout TCCD.
Over the course of the team’s combined 200-year history, the companies have been the recipients of more than 250 regional and national awards for quality and safety in construction, as well as numerous other industry awards.
“I’m incredibly proud to be a part of this project, and in particular to have the opportunity to return to a place where my family invested many happy moments,” said Jorge Franco of Hunt Construction. “As we look toward building the future and restoring the past through our work here, I am most grateful to be able to work with and show support for this great community.”
“While we have been building our communities for nearly a century, I rarely get the opportunity to renovate and enhance something that had such a meaningful impact on my formative years. As a graduate of this very campus, I guarantee that no one will be as committed to ensuring this project’s success as I am,” said Byrne Construction’s David Ziebarth.
Byne | Potere | Hunt were selected following a rigorous RFP review process. New building construction is set to begin in Q1 2022, with a target completion of mid-2023. Renovation design will be done mid-2022 through mid-2023, with final completion of work targeted for mid-2024.