Excellence in Concrete and Masonry
On Saturday February 21, Troy Goetz represented Walsh Bishop at the 27th Annual Minnesota Concrete & Masonry Contractor’s Association Excellence in Concrete & Masonry Design & Construction Awards Banquet. Northland Concrete & Masonry took home two awards for projects on which Walsh Bishop was the Architect. The Ivy Tower Hotel/Condos in Minneapolis won in the “Concrete-Structural” category and the Hilton Hotel in Bloomington won in the “Commercial-Set Stone” category. Congratulations Northland Concrete & Masonry!
Finance and Commerce Features Walsh Bishop
Minneapolis-based Finance and Commerce magazine currently features an article about Walsh Bishop’s expertise and work in the casino and gaming industry. Keith O’Brien, the Vice President of our Entertainment and Hospitality division, speaks about the hope for continued growth in casino projects. As he stated in the article, Keith expects the $26 billion industry to grow 4 to 5 percent nationally in 2009, which is down somewhat from the double-digit growth of recent years, but still strong considering the current economy. The article also summarizes our project history in the gaming industry.
Follow this link to read the entire article.
WBA’s New LEED AP!
Suzanne Ilten, a Senior Interior Designer at Walsh Bishop, just passed her LEED exam on the 15th of December! We are proud to have another LEED AP on the roster and continue to push for further accreditation firm-wide. Congratulations Suzanne!
In related news, the LEAP (Leaders in Environmental Awareness & Protection) Task Team is working diligently to keep sustainable solutions in the forefront of WBA’s operations and design. 2009 will bring us more educational presentations with an environmental focus, and we’re aiming for LEED Silver certification for our new building. Stay tuned for updates to these and more green initiatives at WBA!
Keith’s Expert Insight
Have you checked out the December issue of Indian Gaming Magazine yet? If so, you may see a familiar face. Keith O’Brien, VP of Walsh Bishop’s Entertainment & Hospitality Group, is featured in their Ask the Experts piece, addressing the 2009 Gaming Forecast. Follow this link to gain insight from industry leaders on this topic and find out how the economic downturn will affect the Indian gaming industry.
http://www.indiangaming.com/magazine/
Also- this issue includes an overview last month’s Global Gaming Expo! (So if you missed Hulk Hogan, you will have to settle on checking out his picture…)
Walsh Bishop takes top honors at G2E’s Casino Design Awards!
What a better way to kick off this year’s Global Gaming Expo than to be honored with 3 of this year’s Casino Design Awards, including 2008 Architectural Firm of the Year!
Walsh Bishop also took home Best Architectural Design for a Casino Resort Under $200M, for Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, in Williamsburg, MI, and Best Lighting Design for a Casino Resort, for Black Bear Casino Resort, in Carlton, MN. The winning projects were announced at yesterday’s awards luncheon at G2E in Las Vegas.
Be sure to visit us in booth 511 and learn more about these award-winning projects!
Come see Walsh Bishop at G2E next week!
Walsh Bishop is thrilled again this year to exhibit at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas! And it’s just one week away!
Be sure to visit us in booth 511 and check out some images of our award-winning projects. And did we mention that we can get you a free tradeshow pass? Please contact Alison at alison.regan@walshbishop.com and she’ll email it to you! It’s that easy.
The tradeshow is November 18-20 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and it’s an exciting event. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Walsh Bishop in the News
Walsh Bishop was recently featured in the September 2008 issue of the Native American Journal in an article entitled “Lighting the Way - Green Building on Tribal Land.” This article discusses how Native American Tribes have historically had a strong committment to land stewardship and conservation and how this is resulting in a desire for sustainable and green design. Walsh Bishop’s work for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is highlighted.
LInk here to the article:
New Name Announced
Dennis Walsh has announced the winning entry in our “Name Our Building” contest.
The building, located at 900 N. 3rd Street, will be named “900.” Dennis chose this name because it’s simple and speaks directly to the property and location. He wanted the name to reflect identity in a way that included all of the possibilities of the building, while also allowing for an iconic sign possibility.
Out of 58 entries, the winning suggestion was provided by Jamie Brunotte, who wins $500 and a huge “congratulations and thank you” from all of us at Walsh Bishop!
The Envelope Please!
Walsh Bishop is one step closer to naming our new building. The “Name Our Building” contest was open to everyone at Walsh Bishop and 58 name suggestions have been submitted for consideration! Now, the difficult task of choosing the appropriate name and winning entry is on the shoulders of the Office Relocation Task Team. Watch this space for an announcement coming soon!
A Sweet Discovery
When you purchase a building that started it’s life as a candy factory you’d expect some interesting finds and 900 N. 3rd Street hasn’t disappointed! Our new building was built in 1923 as a candy factory first for Gurley Candy, followed by Fannie Farmer. One of the more unique features we have discovered during our core and shell work is a large roof-top vat that once held the molasses used to make candy and other sweet confections. Even though it has not been used for many decades, you can still step inside the vat and detect the strong smell of syrup! While we will be removing the vat as part of the roof top renovation, it has served as a great reminder to us of the role the North Loop played in the commercial development of Minneapolis and how we want to mark our own presence in this dynamic and revitalized part of our City.
