Midwest Musings | Engineering-Record News

Judging has concluded and Enr Midwest is happy to announce his 2025 best projects awards. Four groups of expert judgments in the industry selected 33 winners who completed projects that represent a prominent quality of work, promoted innovative ideas and overcome difficult challenges. The winners of the safety and sustainability categories will be announced on a later date.

Enr Midwest Judges this year, which are included in alphabetical order, including:

• Bill Ash, Vice President, Design Director, Smithgroup
• Josh Hodges, project manager, Tarlton
• Zane Hyrkas, project engineer, OHM advisers
• Jill Katic, Principal Director, Sustainability, Barton Malow
• Brandon Maurisak, traffic and railway project manager, HNTB
• Sam Mishelow, Director of Customer Development, Meyer Najem
• Vivek Prasad VK, Lead Estimator-American, Microsoft
• Deana Ruud, director, external communications, marketing and communications, Terracon
• John Schlick, director of Pre-Construction, Je Dunn Construction

In addition to selecting the winners in the category, the judges have also chosen several finalists in the Midwest Year project, with the winner announced at the regional event of best projects in November. ENR will preview the finalists in another block that arrives at the event.

All winning project teams will be recognized at a breakfast on November 18 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Click here for more information about the event.

The event will also recognize a number of prizes throughout the year: the Smithgroup Year Design firm; Ryan Companies Year contractor; And our specialized contractor of the year, Ermco. We will also recognize the Midwest Legacy Prize winner, Willis “Rick” Conter.

Congratulations to the best project winners this year, which are displayed below for the category:

Aviation/traffic

Better project: CTA Station of Damen’s Green Line
Chicago
Sent by FH Paschen, SN Nielsen & Associates LLC

Merit Award: O’Hare 21 T5 Garage Parking
Chicago
Sent by Aecom Hunt Clayco Bowa

Cultural/cult

Best project: Joslyn Art Museum + Renewation
OMAHAH
Sent by Kiewit Building Group

Merit Award: Cincinnati Principal Library
Cincinnati, Ohio
Sent by Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.

Energy/industrial

Better project: Limestone Ridge reliability project
Wittenberg and Jackson, Mo.
Sent by Burns & McDonnell

Merit Award: City of Lebanon, Ohio Solar Project
Lebanon, Ohio
Sent by: Industrial Kokosing, Kokosing Solar

Government/Public Building

Better project: Michigan DNR status customer service
Newberry, Mich.
Sent by Walbridge

Health care

Better Project: Your Eastpark Health Medical Center
Madison, Wis.
Sent by IMEG

Merres Award: Altru New Hospital
Grand Forks, ND
Sent by PCL Construction

Merit Award: Rise St. Vincent Women and Infants Hospital
Indianapolis, ind.
Sent by: Pepper Construction of Indiana

Higher Education/Research
Better project: Vertical Expansion Project of the Steven and Susan Lipstein BJC Health Institute
St. Louis, Mo.
Sent by: Alberici builders

Road/bridge

Better project: I-75 segment
Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Mich.
Sent by: Michigan Dept. of Transport, AECOM and WSP

Merit Award: Buck O’Neil US-169 Pont project
Kansas City, Mo.
Sent by: Massman-Clarkson, a joint company

Interior improvement/lessee
Better project: Confidential law firm
Chicago
Sent by: Clune Construction

Merit Award: Boston Consulting Group-Midwest Heyerters
Chicago
Sent by: Executive Construction Inc.

K-12

Without prize

Landscape/urban development

Without prize

Manufacture

Better Project: Expansion of Ford Ohio Assembly Plants
Sheffield, Ohio
Sent by: Rudolph Libbe Group

Merit Prize: Facility and Integration Installation L3Harris
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Sent by: Design Collaborative

Office/Detail Sale

Better project: Cincinnati Public Radio: New Headquarters
Cincinnati, Ohio
Sent by: Skanska Usa Building

Merit Award: The Fields Studios
Chicago
Sent by: Bulley & Andrews

Renewal/Restoration

Better project: Lawson House Renovation
Chicago
Sent by: The Walsh Group

Merit Award: Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Detroit
Sent by: ideal contracting

Merit Award: Catalyst Omaha
OMAHAH
Sent by: Boyd Jones

Residential/hospitality

Best project: Riu Plaza Hotel Chicago
Chicago
Sent by: WSP USA

Merit Award: Porter Apartments
Maryland Heights, Mo.
Sent by: Brinkmann Builders

Small project

Better Project: Lot Polish Airlines
Chicago
Sent by: Clune Construction

Merit Award: CDC Port Health Station at Detroit Metropolitan Airport
Detroit
Sent by: Rs & H, Inc.

Specialized construction

Better project: Hammond Family YMCA
Hammond, Ind.
Sent by: Tonn and Blank Construction

Merit prize: Coastal cold storage
Foreistel, Mo.
Sent by: Brinkmann Builders

Sports/entertainment
Better project: Legacy Osborne Complex
Lincoln, Neb.
Sent by: Hausmann Construction

Merit Award: 2024 United States Olympic Team Test Pools
Indianapolis
Sent by: Shiel Sexton Company, Inc.

Water/environment
Best project: Approach walls to the up at the SOO LOKS COMPLEX, Phase 2
Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Sent by: Alberici builders

Merit Award: Kokomo Peak Excess Flow Treatment
Kokomo, ind.
Sent By: Lochmueller Group, Inc.

Merit Award: Illinois Beach State Park Stabilization
Zion, sick.
Sent by: Michels Corporation