LOCAL CONSTRUCTION FIRM TO RESTORE CLOCK TOWER BUILDING IN PULLMAN

Griggs Mitchell and Alma have been awarded a $5.8 million contract to renovate the Administration Clock Tower Building in Pullman. It will become a Visitor Center. Photo Credit: National Park Service
Griggs Mitchell and Alma have been awarded a $5.8 million contract to renovate the Administration Clock Tower Building in Pullman. It will become a Visitor Center. Photo Credit: National Park Service

Local construction firm to restore Clock Tower Building in Pullman

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Griggs Mitchell and Alma Construction is a minority and veteran-owned construction group in Chicago. They were recently awarded a $5.8 million contract to preserve and restore the Administration Clock Tower Building at the Pullman National Monument at 11057 S. Cottage Grove.

The site will be used as a Visitor Center for the Pullman National Monument, which became part of the National Park Service in 2015.

Griggs, Mitchell and Alma was started in 2009, then rebooted in 2015. There are offices in Dallas, Texas and New York City.

“We deal with the three deficits in Black and brown communities, affordable housing, healthcare and education,” he said.

Pullmann, Griggs Mitchell and Alma are responsible for the Cabrini-Green Redevelopment, St. Edmund’s Tower Annex, Gads Hill Center: Brighton Park, Dolton Public Library, Austin Family Health Center and Ashland Family Health Center. They have also done a large amount of affordable housing projects in Charlotte, NC.

Cornelius Griggs, founder and president, grew up in Austin and served in the military.

“When the opportunity to work with National Park Service came about, it fit some of the work we already do,” he said. “Pullman is an extremely important neighborhood to Chicago.”

Griggs said the construction firm offered a different dynamic being veteran and minority owned, along with a proven history of doing the work. He said they were found to be the most qualified contractor and were awarded the contract at the end of 2019.

Griggs said while the group had an initial meeting with the National Park Service, they are waiting for the official notice to proceed. Once the office notice is approved, they will start construction, which they anticipate will start in mid-to-late February. The work has to be completed within 300 calendar days.

Griggs said they will start with the exterior of the 30,000 sq. ft. building.

“This is extremely important for us,” he said. “It’s going to be one of the highlights for us in our portfolio.”

The project is being funded by the National Park Service and its donors, along with a National Park Service Centennial Challenge Grant. The goal of the grant is to prepare National Parks for another 100 years of preservation and conservation for the public to enjoy.

According to the National Park Service’s website, the Visitor Center is scheduled to open Spring 2021. The Administration Clock Tower Building was damaged by fire in 1998. The state of Illinois reconstructed the building in 2005 and it has been unoccupied since that time.

“The National Park Service is thrilled to be a partner in the revitalization of Pullman’s history and the neighborhood,” Sue Bennett, acting superintendent of Pullman National Monument said in a release. “In many ways, Pullman is a nationally significant cultural resource, with a fascinating history that provides relevant insight to today’s current events. We expect Pullman will soon become a destination for new visitors throughout Chicagoland and the nation, while encouraging return adventures for others.”

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