Barton Malow Builders Expand into K–12 Market

Contracting firm Barton Malow Builders announced this week that it is partnering with Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Fla., as the construction manager on a large-scale capital improvement project. According to a press release, the Low-Voltage Systems Capital Renewal project is valued at more than $20 million and aims to replace and update fire alarms, security camera sub-systems and intercoms at about 40 schools around the district.

“Barton Malow is excited to partner with OCPS, one of the largest school districts in the nation,” said Randy Zylstra, Director of Florida Operations for Barton Malow. The partnership will also involve VoltAir Consulting Engineers and Provisions Construction & Development, two minority partner firms, in an effort to foster relationships among local businesses.

Barton Malow ranked #13 in Building Design + Construction’s 2020 list of Top K–12 Contractors, as well as #10 in the Engineering News-Record’s 2020 list of Top Education Contractors. Construction on the Capital Renewal project is scheduled to begin this fall and to finish sometime during 2022. Officials also anticipate that the project will create a substantial number of new jobs in Central Florida.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.