News Releases

Neenah, Wis.— Miron Construction Co., Inc. and Berners-Schober were recently recognized by The Daily Reporter newspaper for two of the 2011 Top Projects in Wisconsin. The Daily Reporter is a statewide construction newspaper distributed throughout Wisconsin. Awards were received for The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center located in Green Bay and for the Zippin Pippin roller coaster, also located in Green Bay.

The awards, which will be presented at an awards banquet being held on May 3 at the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, recognize members of the construction industry (generals, subcontractors, architects engineers and owners) whose projects met and exceeded expectations in the year prior. This year’s Top Projects event will honor 30 outstanding Wisconsin construction projects completed in 2011. To view a list of the winning projects, please click here.

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, located on Lime Kiln Road, is the result of a philanthropic gift from Joan Kroc, the late spouse of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, and the generosity of the community, which quickly raised enough capital to support the facility’s operations endowment. The 102,000 GSF facility was designed by Berners-Schober, in association with design consultant, Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture of Denver, and has already been recognized for excellence in design and construction. In November 2011, the Kroc Center was awarded the Mayor’s Beautification Award for Large Building Design/Sustainable Design. The facility offers unique programs and experiences to area youth and families which would normally be beyond their economic reach. At the same time it sets a strong example of sustainable design and construction for the rest of the community. The project is being submitted for LEED^TM Silver certification. The Kroc Center features an array of spaces to support educational outreach, arts, recreational fitness and personal wellness, aquatics, banquets, musical performances and offers a gathering space for worship. According to John Manser, director of operations for The Salvation Army, “Each and every day we have people that use the facility that mention how impressed they are with the quality of the workmanship that is so evident in our facility. The Kroc Center seeks to meet the needs of those who participate in its many programs. We strive to strengthen, enrich and encourage our members and guests with every program and service we provide. . . [This] beautiful facility . . . expresses strength, warmth and encouragement to our members. Our facility is an incredible tool that we leverage each day to make a difference in the lives of others!”

The Zippin Pippin roller coaster was designed to replicate a Zippin Pippin roller coaster that operated for numerous years in Memphis, Tenn., and was renowned as Elvis Presley’s favorite amusement park ride. The project, located at the City of Green Bay’s Bay Beach Amusement Park, has quickly become one of the city’s most popular summertime attractions since opening in May 2011. The 7,000-piece, 2,400 linear-foot-long wooden coaster travels at 20.8 mph, increasing to 40 mph at the maximum drop of 70 feet, and offers excitement throughout every moment of the 90 second ride. The City of Green Bay purchased the naming rights and design of the historic Zippin Pippin roller coaster, which had previously been housed at Libertyland Amusement Park in Memphis, Tenn. The coaster itself dates back to the 1920s. Nearly all of the building materials for the construction of the coaster were new, since a large portion of the old structure in Memphis was deemed unsalvageable once it had been exposed to the elements after Libertyland closed its doors. Bay Beach Amusement Park has not had a roller coaster since 1936, when the Park Commission ordered it taken down because the owners couldn’t find insurance to operate the coaster on city property. Bay Beach Amusement Park focuses on providing recreational entertainment at a reasonable price. In fact, a ride on the Zippin Pippin only costs $1.

Miron Construction also served as the general contractor on the UW-Parkside Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities, which is being honored as a Top Project of 2011 as well. The project was submitted by HGA.

Below are images of The Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, The Zippin Pippin rollercoaster and UW-Parkside Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities:

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center