5716 Wellness receives Build Michigan Award

January 27th, 2012

Left to right: Tim O'Brien; Tim Thorland, executive director of Southwest Housing; Dave Janssen, superintendent; Mike Brown, project engineer; Dan Ross, project manager; Bob O'Brien, vice president for development at Southwest Solutions

5716 Wellness has been named one of the best construction projects in the state by the Michigan Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

As the general contractor of 5716 Wellness, O’Brien Construction received the first-place 2011 Build Michigan Award at a special ceremony in Plymouth, Michigan on January 27, 2012.

Tim O’Brien, owner of the company, accepted the award. In his acceptance speech, Tim spoke about his close work with Southwest Solutions, which owns 5716 Wellness, to revitalize the historic building into an integrated heathcare center.

The Build Michigan Awards honors projects that demonstrate:

Quality design and construction
Meticulous attention to budget, schedule and safety
Excellent project management and innovative techniques
Sustainability and environmentally sensitivity
Meeting difficult challenges
Responding keenly to client needs
Contributing significantly to the community

5716 Wellness was judged as exceptional in fulfilling all these criteria.

“We know firsthand that the Build Michigan Award is a well-deserved honor, and we are very proud of our collaboration with O’Brien Construction,” said Tim Thorland, executive director of Southwest Housing Solutions. “The Build Michigan Award is especially significant because contractors are judged by their peers. O’Brien Construction has earned deep respect in the industry for its commitment to excellence and its passion to make a difference in the community.”

5716 Wellness is a four-story structure that was originally designed by Albert Kahn a century ago as a cigar factory. The new health center opened in early 2011 and provides primary medical, pediatric, obstetric, dental, psychiatric, pharmacy and behavioral counseling services. It is expected to serve 10,000 individuals and families annually.

The building is occupied by:

Southwest Solutions
Covenant Community Care
Madonna University Southwest (Detroit) Women’s Educational Empowerment Program (SWEEP)
Life Directions
Children’s Outreach
Moms And Babes Too

The Build Michigan Award for 5716 Wellness is the second such award that O’Brien Construction has received for a Southwest Solutions project. For its work to revitalize Lithuanian Hall, O’Brien Construction won a 2007 Build Michigan Award.

In addition, O’Brien Construction has received national and local acclaim for its work as the contractor of Piquette Square for Veterans.