Opt-in for Opportunity Corridor 1

Opt-in for Opportunity Corridorand the opportunities it provides

Winter 2016/2017 • Volume 1

Contract to be Awarded in 2017 for Section 3The third and final section of the Opportunity Corridor project will build an entirely new road on a northeasterly alignment between I-490/East 55th Street and East 93rd Street. The Ohio Department of Transportation is currently reviewing the alternative technical concepts of the design-build teams that are competing for the Val-ue-Based Design-Build contract that is estimated at $220 million.

This contract is expected to be awarded in spring 2017 and construction will begin during the summer. The entire roadway is scheduled to be complete fall 2021. Stay tuned for more informa-tion in the next edition of the Opportunity Corridor newsletter. n

Section 1—East 105th Street Widening Heading into Final Year of ConstructionThe second year of construction on Section 1 of the Opportunity Corridor project has been very productive. Section 1 includes the widening of the existing E. 105th Street from Quebec Avenue to just north of Chester Avenue and crews are 70 percent complete with the work.

During 2016, all pavement widening work was completed between Quebec and Euclid avenues and all lanes are open. There are currently temporary traffic signals in place on this section and over the winter crews will be busy getting the new traffic signals in operation. A major part of the entire Opportunity Corridor project includes utility relocation. On Section 1 all utility relocation work is complete between Quebec and Euclid avenues.

Completion of Section 1 is set for the fall of 2017, so crews will be working hard starting in the spring to complete the widening work between Euclid Avenue and just north of Chester Avenue. Final surface paving, traffic signal installation, street lighting and land-scaping will also be completed during this year’s construction sea-son. The prime contractor on Section 1 is McTech Corporation/Perk Company, Inc. a Joint Venture and they were awarded the project for a bid amount of $20.9 million. n

Section 2—East 105th Street to East 93rd Street—Welcome to the New TeamThe Opportunity Corridor Section 2 project has been awarded to the Design-Build Team of The Great Lakes Construction Co. and GPD Group for a bid amount of $35.5 million. The Section 2 portion involves the construction of a new roadway from E. 93rd Street to E. 105th Street; reconstruction of the E. 105th Street bridge over Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA); extension of the existing GCRTA rail platform; build-ing demolitions and street reconstruction in the area.

“The Great Lakes Construction Co. and our entire team are pleased to be working with the Ohio Department of Transportation on this exciting project,” said George Palko, President of The Great Lakes Construction Co. “The Opportunity Corridor project is more than a construction project connecting two neighborhoods on the east side of Cleveland. The project and our team are involving the community in an effort to find career opportunities beyond one construction project.”

Residential and commercial building demo-lition as well as environmental remediation has been completed on the project to date. n

Opt-in for Opportunity Corridor 2

Opportunity in Contracting and WorkforceThe Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and its partners are committed to local participation and improving inclusion on this project. All three sections of the Opportunity Corridor project have high goals for diverse contracting, hiring and on-the-job training. Each section has a 20 percent goal for diverse contracting, however each section has different categories and percent-ages to maximize sub-contracting opportunities.

Section 1 subcontracting goals and status:

Ethnicity % Goal $ Contract Goal # of Firms% Goal Met

as of 12/31/16$ Goal Met

as of 12/31/16

African American Owned 8.5% $1,782,431.35 3 8.61% $1,805,055.35

Hispanic Owned 1.5% $314,546.71 1 2.41% $506,187.27

Asian and Native American Owned 1.5% $314,546.71 1 1.53% $320,086.81

All other certified companies 8.5% $1,782,431.35 6 6.82% $1,430,221.53

TOTAL 20% $4,193,956.12 11 19.37% $4,061,550.96

Section 2 subcontracting goals and status:

Business Type%

Goal%

CommittedNumber of Firms

African American

Asian Hispanic All Other

New Business 2% 2.22% 6 2 0 2 2

Local Business 8% 11.44% 9 3 0 0 6

Small Business 2% 2.07% 3 1 1 0 1

EDGE* 8% 20.45% 17 6 3 1 7

TOTAL 20% 36.70% 35 12 4 3 16

$ By Ethnicity: $5,652,480.00 $243,763.20 $427,468.80 $6,641,664.00

*Encouraging Diversity, Growth & Equity (EDGE)

Section 3 subcontractor goals will be the same as Section 2 due to the overwhelming success, however the percentages will be New and Small Business 2 percent, Local 6 percent and EDGE 10 percent.

ODOT's unprecedented outreach efforts and goals set on the Opportunity Corridor project, have laid the groundwork for future construction projects to enjoy success in diversity and inclusion goals. n

Spotlight on the Corridor: 2016 was a Year of Opportunities Becoming a RealityWhat's exciting about the Opportunity Corridor Project is that it's more than just a road. It's an opportunity for residents in the surrounding communities—Wards 4, 5 and 6 to establish attainable goals, learn and grow as individuals. With funding from this project, Ohio Means Jobs has been able to assist residents with furthering their education, growing their business and finding employment opportunities.

The funding from this project has truly impacted many residents in the surrounding communities. Currently, 655 residents have been placed into employment and 346 residents have received assistance for supportive services. One of the most notable stories comes from Ward 6 resident Carla Moody, who prior to receiving supportive services, was in the beginning stages of establishing her business and in the process of obtaining the required certifications. Since then, she was awarded a Federal Government Contract and

successfully completed the project.

Another great story comes from Ward 5 resident Alicia Ross. Prior to her receiving supportive services, she was in the process of evaluating her career and in the beginning stages of school. Currently she is finishing up her last semester to obtain her Master's degree from Cleveland State University and working as a case worker. Lastly, but certainly not least, is Ward 4 resident Jeffery Banks, who overcame many obsta-cles throughout his life from being incarcerated for over a decade and dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a recently released felon. He is now living his dreams of travel-ing throughout the country as a truck driver.

Ms. Moody, Ms. Ross and Mr. Bank's success are prime examples of what this community can achieve when given an opportunity. To view additional spotlight articles, please visit: opportunitycorridor.transportation.ohio.gov. n

uals it hires. With an emphasis on diversity and inclusion in design and construc-tion, Great Lakes and GPD want to ensure that the community are aware of the upcoming Section 2 Project and the possibili-ties it holds.

“All organizations exist to make people’s lives better,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. “By way of this project, ODOT and our Design-Build partners are working together to create sus-tainable employment opportunities.” n

Community Kick-Off EventOn Thursday, July 14 at the historic Karamu House, The Great Lakes Construction Co. in partnership with the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) held Opt-In for Opportunities, a kick-off event to announce workforce and business development opportunities on the second section of the Opportunity Corridor Project.

The free event was centered on showcasing job/career and entrepreneurial opportunities in the design and construction industry relating to the Opportunity Corridor Section 2.

The design and construction of this road offers many opportu-nities for companies and the individuals along with the individ-

Youth Education: ACE Mentoring—John Hay High SchoolThe Great Lakes Construction team is working with John Hay High School students to assist in preparing for a spring competition where team members have the opportu-nity to win scholarships for college. The team will work with students on presentation skills, models, costs, schedules and design skills. n

St. Martin DePorres Corporate Work Study ProgramTo help alleviate the cost of tuition, a high school student is assisting us on our project for five days a month. In exchange for the work done, Great Lakes Construction Co. is paying a portion of the student’s tuition. n

Opt-in for Opportunity Corridor 3Opt-in for Opportunity Corridor 3

Buckeye Community Outreach Event

Community Service Project St. Adalbert Catholic ChurchOn October 1, in the Fairfax neighborhood, Great Lakes worked with St. Adalbert Church to clean and perform land-scaping, tree and shrub clean up around Quincy park. Some reconstruction was provided to the churches prayer area. n

Career Awareness Sessions: Providing Readiness OpportunitiesCareer Awareness Sessions (CAS) sponsored by The Great Lakes Construction Co. were held—in Wards 4, 5 and 6, to help prepare the attendees for careers in the construction industry and with Opportunity Corridor Section 2. The sessions began in September and will continue monthly through 2017.

All Sessions included topics such as: learning about career options connected with the construction industry and Oppor-tunity Corridor Section 2; learning critical job readiness skills such as resume building, interviewing, job search techniques and social media etiquette. To learn about future CAS, please visit: greatlakesway.com/oc2-opportunity-corridor-section-2/. n

The Great Lakes Construction Co. partnered with Buckeye Shaker Square Development Corporation to co-host a Holiday Community Outreach event where Great Lakes gave an overview of the OC2 project scope and the team’s diversity plan, goals, programs and efforts. This was a great chance for Great Lakes and the community leaders to get to know each other to help keep lines of communication open.

Additional Community Outreach events will be held in 2017. n

Contractors Entrepreneur Sessions : Creating Opportunities for EntrepreneursThe Great Lakes Construction Co., in partnership with ODOT and The Urban League of Greater Cleveland, held a series of workshops for entrepreneurs. The goals was to educate New, Small, Local and EDGE businesses on how to conduct business with ODOT and construction Companies. Topics include: Small, EDGE and DBE Certifications, contract documents, standard drawings, and ODOT construction and material specifications. Also included is information on business development, what it takes to be a successful highway contractor and information on future construction opportunities. Additional workshop sessions are planned for 2017. n

Opt-in for Opportunity Corridor 4

Subcontractor ProfileMJP Trucking is a NEW company which is defined as a business that was established within 3 years of performing work or have never worked on a project for the department.

MJP TruckingTwo years ago, after a career of almost 30 years in nursing, Laura Pajestka started a family trucking business. “I was born into the trucking industry because my Dad was a union driver for many years. Before my father passed away 13 years ago, our son had followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by working in the trucking industry,” she explained.

MJP Trucking does demolition and excavation hauling. Since summer of 2016, they have worked with The Great Lakes Con-struction Co. on Opportunity Corridor 2. They haul demolition debris, construction, heavy highway and asbestos debris. They also haul salt, sand, dirt and gravel.

Pajestka mentions that the DBE certification has opened doors.“It’s helped us with having the opportunity to attend networking outreach events and to spend one-on-one time with prime contractors. I have a wonderful support system around me as a result of being certified,” she said.

As a new company, Pajestka found it difficult at first. “Do your homework,” she advises. “Make sure that you know all the pros and cons of what you’re going to deal with in your industry before you get established. Talk to the people in your industry so you will know the possible hurdles. Get advice on what you need to do to overcome those hurdles.” n

HOW TO STAY IN TOUCH• Visit our website at

www.OpportunityCorridor.transportation.ohio.gov

You can subscribe to our email list on our homepage.

• Email us at D12.Public.Information@dot.ohio.gov

• Call 216-584-2007

• You can find ODOT on @District12Cleveland

• You can follow ODOT on

@ODOT_Cleveland

Ohio Department of Transportation5500 Transportation BoulevardGarfield Heights, OH 44125

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDCleveland, OH Permit No. 1

Laura Pajestka, owner, shows off new truck. Photo by: Jean Schnell