Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Creighton Hall Renovation

Creighton University will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2028. Prairie Construction has begun work on a significant renovation of the campus’ original building – Creighton Hall – in anticipation of this momentous milestone.

The project involves retrofitting the old building with a modern infrastructure, including updated heating and cooling, water, mechanical, and fire suppression. Creighton Hall’s renovation is part of Creighton’s initiative to achieve more sustainable practices across its campus.

The renovation will also include ADA-accessible restrooms, a new gathering space, and offices and meeting spaces,

This phase of the project involves system upgrades to the south wing of the building. The north wing will be upgraded in a future phase.

The building has undergone many changes over the last 146 years, but this project represents the most significant. This is just one of several projects the Prairie Construction team has completed on the Creighton campus, and we are grateful for the continued partnership with the University. The Prairie Construction team expects to complete this project in 2026.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Elkhorn High School Auditorium Renovation

The Prairie Construction team has been busy renovating the auditorium at Elkhorn High School.

A crucial step in the project was the installation of a beam that serves as a primary support for the structure. The beam was so large that bringing it in three pieces was necessary.  The pieces were then bolted together inside the building and the beam was installed with the help of the ironworkers.

A hole in the roof of the building was made so a large crane could access the beam and pull it up into place.

Click here to watch the installation of this impressive beam:

 

It has been our pleasure to partner with Elkhorn Public Schools for more than 20 years. We value your trust in us and look forward to future school projects in the Elkhorn school district.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Updates at Elkhorn Ridge Middle School

It’s not unusual for projects to start small, and morph into a much bigger job. That was true for the scheduled addition of a security entrance upgrade at Elkhorn Ridge Middle School.

After further assessment, the decision was made to revitalize the interior of the entrance through multiple architectural and mechanical upgrades. While this extended the initial time for the project, the result was well worth it!

After the upgrades to the interior, the focus turned to the school’s exterior. The change of color gave the school a refreshed, updated appearance. Add a complete roofing system upgrade, and the entire exterior looks newer and more modern.

 

The updates to Elkhorn Ridge Middle School may have been more than originally planned, but the result is a refreshed, updated school that is ready to welcome the future’s brightest minds through the doors in the Fall!

 

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Prairie Completes First Splash and Dash

Commercial construction continues to boom in the Omaha metro area.

Prairie Construction recently completed the remodel construction of Omaha’s newest dog grooming business – Splash and Dash, Dog Grooming and Boutique.

 

The project was a remodel of an existing space in a commercial strip mall. Demolition of the space began in December, followed by a complete custom rebuild to fit the needs of this unique business.

 

 

Located at 2517 South 174th Plaza in Lakeside, the store is the first of four planned Splash and Dash franchises in Omaha, and the Prairie Construction team is looking forward to our continued partnership with the family-owned franchises.

Splash and Dash welcomed their first canine customers last week!

 

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Creighton’s Skutt Student Center Ribbon Cutting

After months of construction at the V.J. and Angela Skutt Student Center on the campus of Creighton University, Prairie Construction was proud to participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marketing the official end of the project.

The Skutt Student Center is one of the more popular buildings on campus, so our team needed careful planning and coordination with the University to complete this project in the least intrusive way. We shared an update about this project last Fall shortly after construction began.

Renovations included bathrooms, ballroom, and ground level. Space was reconfigured for new dining vendors, and new seating options were included to make the space more welcoming.

 

The Prairie Construction team was happy to partner with Creighton University on another project. We hope the students enjoy the update space as much as we enjoyed being on campus!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Creighton Skutt Student Center Renovation

Crieghton University students will soon see significant changes to the Skutt Student Center. Prairie Construction is busy completing a full renovation of the space.

Located at 2600 California Street, the project includes a complete upgrade of the existing student dining hall and commercial kitchens in the Skutt Student Center. New air handling units are being installed, and an expansion of adjacent restrooms to provide ADA access and increased size are also part of the project.

The project began during the summer and will continue through the first semester, with a goal of reopening for the second semester. Prairie Construction has coordinated with Creighton to keep nearby Starbucks and Mutual of Omaha ballroom open throughout the construction of the nearby space.

Prairie is partnering with architects from Leo A Daly on the 22,000 square foot project. We are excited to complete another successful project on the Creighton University campus.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Pottawattamie County Roads Operations Center

The Prairie Construction team recently completed a project for the Pottawattamie County Roads Operations Center.

The project involved the construction of a vehicle maintenance building with office space, located at 101 Ingenium Way in Council Bluffs. As part of the Pottawattamie County Secondary Roads Department, the new building is located just north of the Council Bluffs Airport.

The maintenance building is 22,300 sq feet, and the office building is approximately 7,200 sq feet. We collaborated with HGM Associates Inc. from Council Bluffs on the design of the buildings.

The new maintenance building resulted in the consolidation of five existing spaces into three, more efficient and adequate spaces.

Read more about the project here.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Company News, Current Projects

The Longest Day of the Year

The official start of summer is June 21 – it is also the longest day of the year!

Summer is busy for the Prairie Construction team – the days are the longer, the weather is cooperative, and it’s a great time for us to complete as many projects as we can!

Not only do we take advantage of the warm, dry weather, but we also take advantage of longer hours of daylight. And in some cases, we barely wait for the sun to rise before getting a start on the day.

That was the case recently when our team made the most of the day to pour concrete at the West Hampton Flex project at 192nd & Blondo. We used light towers to help our team make the most of day and get the concrete poured at this new construction build.

You can watch the progress here!

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

Update on Bennington Elementary School

Last Spring we announced the launch of another school project for Prairie Construction – a new elementary school in the Bennington School District.

We are pleased to share an update that the school will officially be named Stratford Elementary. The school is located at the southwest corner of 168th & Military and will welcome approximately 500 students in August for the 2022/23 school year. The school is close to 68,000 square feet.

The elementary school was recently featured in an Omaha World Herald article, along with an update on the new Bennington Middle School. The Prairie Construction team has been hard at work on the elementary school, and we are on deadline to complete the project in June or July of 2022.

The Prairie Construction team is skilled at building schools. We understand the planning and coordination required to meet safety standards and complete the project on deadline and on budget. We are proud to be in the homestretch of another school in the Omaha metro area.

Posted on By Julie Swartz Categories Current Projects

WarSader Shield Tradition Begins

We love a good rivalry!

The girls’ basketball teams from Omaha Westside and Omaha Marian were tied at 30 wins each, dating back to 1977, when they met last week on the court. Terry Hanna from the Westside Community Schools Foundation had to the idea to commemorate this epic tiebreaker with a lasting trophy.

The Prairie Construction team was asked to create a special trophy to celebrate the history between the two teams and establish a new tradition. The WarSader Shield – a combination of Warriors and Crusaders – was created.

The Prairie Construction team created the solid oak shield, which weighs 50 pounds. Terry Hanna’s wife added some details to the trophy which will travel back and forth between winners.

The Westside Warriors ended on top after this game, so they are the first team to keep possession of the WarSader, which was signed by the members of both team after the game.

You can read more about the WarSader Shield, and the game here.

We were happy to play a role in this new tradition. It is a fun opportunity for our team to work on unique projects like this!