| February 26th, 2018

FAMU Project

By: journeymagazine

Ajax builders of FAMU’s Center of Access and Student Success seeks minority-owned businesses to bid on project

By| Eboni Walker

June of last year, FAMU hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to honor its new Center for Access and Student Success. As of a couple weeks ago, fencing was added to the building site to indicate the construction to begin.

This new student center will serve as a one stop shop for students seeking assistance in any of the following departments: financial aid, counseling, healthcare, recruitment, admissions, student affairs and student activities. These same services are currently provided at different facilities scattered around the campus.

“As we continue to promote high performance to our students,” said William Hudson Jr., “vice president for student affairs, it is integral that we offer them the services, support, and infrastructure that will elevate their learning experience and environment.”

The 73,000-square foot center was first projected to be built at the Diamond and McGuinn halls which previously served as student housing. However, for economic reasons it will now sit on Wahnish Way, in between Gaither Gymnasium and Gibbs Student Housing.

The first phase of this project includes underground construction and is expected to begin this week, along with utility materials set to arrive as well. Unexpectedly, this phase also includes Ajax Building Corp. reaching out to minority-owned businesses offering them an opportunity to be a part of the $26 million-dollar project.

“It’s our culture here at Ajax,” said Ted Parker, director of outreach and vendor diversity for Ajax Building Corporation. “It’s just the way we see business… social responsibility. This project will have $150 million-dollar impact towards the economy. Our goal is to make sure everyone gets some.”

Parker lead an informational on last Tuesday for certified minority businesses enabling them receive more details on the qualifications and steps needed to bid on the remaining job opportunities for this project. Some of the remaining bidding jobs include resilient flooring, electrical roofing, hard tile plumbing, drywall, irrigation, acoustical ceilings and miscellaneous steel framing.

For those applicants that may not meet the qualifications for contracts, Ajax plans to connect them with established contractors in order for them to bid as second-tier subcontractors.

“We want everyone who wants to get involved to be able to do so,” said Parker.

With an estimated completion date set for August 2019, the remainder of the project is depended on legislators and Governor Rick Scott. As of now, FAMU has received $16 million from the Legislature for the student center. According the to the university, that portion of the money has been used for building programming, pre-construction, design and phases one through three.

These phases will include work leading up to the summer of this year. The University is now requesting an additional $21 million toward the building phases of the center. “This is currently the most anticipated project on campus,” said Dillan Moore, an engineering student at FAMU, “hopefully the results of this project unfold as great as expected.”