Kaiser Electric is providing all of the new electrical wiring, lighting, branch circuiting, data and communication service, and fire alarm wiring on both projects. The general contractor on the project is River City Construction in Ashland, MO.

Plans for the seven-story hall, which closed in December, include a gut-renovation of the main desk area, restrooms, student quarters, lower level spaces and main lounge, plus relocation of the entrance, the addition of study rooms throughout, restoration of the exterior façade and replacement of the windows and central air conditioning and heating units. The building currently houses 395 residents. Upon completion of the project, the facility will house 372 residents.

Renovations to the two-story Mark Twain Market dining hall, which is located adjacent and connected to Mark Twain Hall, includes a new roof, updated finishes, the addition of restrooms and expansion of the seating area and refrigerated, frozen, dry storage and receiving areas. As a result of the dining hall expansion, Mark Twain Hall’s in-ground swimming pool will be removed. Mark Twain Market will close in May 2012 and is expected to re-open in August 2013 when renovations to the residence and dining halls are expected to be complete.

The total cost for the renovations is approx. $21.7 million, which includes approx. $3.1 million in funding from Campus Dining Services to complete the Mark Twain Market renovations. The University of Missouri system Board of Curators approved an $18.6 million bond in November 2010 to renovate Mark Twain residence hall.

Kaiser Electric is providing all of the electrical, lighting, control and instrumentation wiring on the project. Kaiser’s crews arrived on the job site in mid-October and were asked to complete wiring of the unloading facility and parallel conveyor system by mid-December before the winter set in. Kaiser was able to complete the fast-tracked, Phase 1 with 30 electricians working two shifts, six days a week.

“There have been multiple engineering changes during the original durations that made the scheduling of activities and the managing of man-power and material difficult to keep the project on time and efficient,” said Jason Russell, vice-president of Kaiser’s Central Missouri division handling the project.

Phase 1 included wiring of three under-silo coal and biomass conveyors which travel from the fuel receiving area to the bucket elevators. Each conveyor stretches approximately 250 feet in length. The two over-bunker coal and biomass conveyors wired by Kaiser are approximately 200 feet long and the bucket elevators are approximately 80 feet tall. Working at dangerous heights,

Kaiser’s crew worked off scaffolding and were tied-off with safety harnesses to ensure safety while working.

“Most importantly, Kaiser completed this intense schedule for Phase 1 with no injuries or lost time,” added Kaiser Electric President Steve Giacin.

Phase II will include construction and wiring of the 110-foot-high silos, which are expected to be completed in March, with completion of the new biomass boiler scheduled for early spring.

The new boiler, which will be retrofitted with the university’s existing heating duct system, is expected to produce 150,000 pounds of steam per hour, increasing the power plant’s steam output by 30,000 pounds per hour. The new biomass boiler is also expected to use an estimated 100,000 tons of biomass each year from various sources throughout Missouri, which includes chipped hardwoods and local wood waste. The new unit is also expected to produce lower sulfur emission levels and smaller amounts of ash than the coal boiler it is replacing.

The University of Missouri’s power plant supplies energy and heating and cooling for buildings totaling more than 13 million square feet, including three hospitals, a research reactor and several research facilities.

The general contractor on the project is McCarthy Construction of St. Louis, MO. Sega Engineering and Technical Services of Overland Park, Kansas is the project engineer.

While the stone shell of St. Louis’ historic 76-year-old Peabody Opera House may be original, the electrical wiring and lighting controls coursing through its hallways, banquet rooms and stages are as modern as they come.

Kaiser Electric began renovating the electrical and lighting systems in the art deco jewel at 14th and Market Streets in Downtown St. Louis in June 2010. Plans for the Peabody Opera House, formerly named the Kiel Opera House, included renovation of its main theater, which seats 3,200 people, and its smaller theaters with seating for 300 to 500 people. The $6.5 million electrical component of the building’s total $78.7 million renovation included the design/build of a new electrical distribution system and installation of the theatrical, architectural and general lighting. The theatrical lighting system alone was estimated at $1.3 million.

During peak construction, Kaiser Electric had up to 31 electricians working on the project, which was completed within budget and on schedule in August.
 
“One of the main challenges we had working on the project was preserving the historical look and feel of the building in terms of lighting, but making it more energy efficient,” said Kaiser Electric President Steve Giacin.  

Mike Murphy, Kaiser Electric VP of Operations added, “We sent out the original 10-foot-tall, 3-foot-around lighting fixtures to be re-wired and had several missing original wall sconces re-created and re-wired.  The challenge was getting all of those historic light fixtures successfully wired into the new dimming control system. We also assisted in the design and installation of LED color-shifting light fixtures in the large center dome in the main theater.”

Kaiser Electric installed occupancy sensors on all lighting in the building’s “back of house” areas and used energy efficient fluorescent lighting where possible. Incandescent lighting was used where dimming was necessary. Kaiser’s crews also installed a backup generator outside the building for egress lighting and the elevators,  a new fire alarm system throughout the building, and electrical and lighting for a new lounge and several concession stands throughout the building.

The original Kiel Opera House, which was owned and operated by the city, was completed in 1934. The opera house was home to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for several years and the setting for many ballet, opera and concert performances. It was closed in 1991.

The Peabody Opera House will be operated by an affiliate of SCP Worldwide and will offer citizens a variety of theater and musical events, including events produced by Running Subway, SCP Worldwide’s New York-based production company. The new Peabody Opera House will provide jobs and entertainment options in the City of St. Louis, including the creation of 480 construction jobs with a total payroll of over $23 million.
A purchase agreement provided $32.6 million in bonds issued by the city’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, plus just over $46 million in state and federal historic tax credit proceeds, federal New Markets Tax Credit equity, Brownfields tax credits and first mortgage debt make up the rest of the project’s financing.

The St. Louis Blues ownership group, headed by Dave Checketts and including local partner Tom Stillman, joined with Optimus Development, headed by Chris McKee, to spearhead the rehabilitation and renovation of the iconic downtown building.