ABSHER TO BUILD NEW BUSINESS CENTER  (March 3, 2008) -- Absher Construction Company has been selected to provide preconstruction and construction services for the new Martin Luther King Business Center in Tacoma. Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, the Center will be a mixed-use structure consisting of approximately 100,000 s.f. of retail and office space, 50 to 60 market-rate apartments and a 350-space parking garage. The project is owned by the Martin Luther King Housing Development Association, a community-based organization which provides affordable housing, emergency shelter and supportive services and promotes self-sufficiency, home ownership, neighborhood revitalization and economic development. The current project value is $24M for the shell and core, and tenant improvements could increase that amount significantly. Designed by Jon Graves Architects and Planners, the business center is intended to be a LEED-certified building...

ABSHER SELECTED FOR MODULAR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT  (February 22, 2008) -- Absher Construction Company has been selected to manage construction of the Tacoma Housing Authority's new Hillsdale Heights public-housing development. The $23M design/build project will include a mix of for-sale and rental housing, and will incorporate modular construction instead of the conventional stick-built process. Absher's project team includes GGLO Architects of Seattle and Guerdon Enterprises (modular builder) of Boise, Idaho, as well as KPFF Structural Engineers. Construction is expected to begin in July...

PRESIDENT WRAPS-UP YEAR AT AGC HELM  (February 15, 2008) -- Absher's Director of Safety and Risk Management, David D'Hondt, has wrapped-up a very successful year-long term as president of the AGC of Washington. Dave left a very positive mark on the AGC, renewing a sense of fiscal responsibility and bringing people together to find consensus on some very challenging issues. His energy and enthusiasm will truly be missed. The 2008 presidency, however, is left in the very capable hands of Steve Barger of Northwest Cascade. Congratulations, Dave, on an outstanding year, and best of luck to you, Steve!...

NAVY BARRACKS & PARKING GARAGE  (January 2008) -- Absher has been awarded the $70.9M design-build Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) and Parking Garage at Naval Station Kitsap in Bremerton. The BEQ project will include the design and construction of a 210,000 s.f., eight-story housing facility and a 912-stall, ten-story parking structure. Absher teamed with WJA Design Collaborative, MacDonald Miller, Valley Electric and Western States Fire Protection on the project. Construction is slated to being this spring, and will wrap-up in October 2009. The Navy has a goal to receive a Silver LEED rating for this project...

2007 EMPLOYEE AWARDS  (December 2007) -- Absher’s 2007 Employees of the Year were announced at the annual company meeting in December. Congratulations go out to Blaine Wolfe, Melanie Raby and John Wilcher, who were named Employees of the Year in the Field Management, Office/Management and Craft Worker categories. Also recognized were Safety Employees of the Year Dennis Smith and Marty Olsen in the Supervisory and Field categories, respectively. Finally, Brad Porcella was named as the recipient of the company’s 2007 Community Service Award. Congratulations to all, and thanks for your outstanding service!...

RECORD YEAR FOR HOLIDAY LIGHTS  (January 2007) -- Absher’s Holiday Lights program raised a record $33,912 this holiday season, thanks to the generous support of Absher staff and business partners. The goal was to help sixty families in and around the communities in which we work, but donations were so generous that we were able to help more than 75 families with toys, clothing, food, help with bill payment, firewood and more. Thanks again to all who took part in the Holiday Lights program; your generosity made the difference for many families in need this year...

NATIONAL DESIGN/BUILD HONORS  (November 2007) -- The Absher/WJA design/build team's FY04 Whole Barracks Renewal project took top honors in the Public-Sector Projects over $15M category at the national Design-Build Institute of America's 2007 conference. The event was held November 1-2 in Dallas, Texas. On hand to accept the award from Absher were Government and Defense Contracting Group Director Mike Steinthal and Gary Johnson, PE. They were joined by representatives from WJA, BCE Engineers, Hermanson Company, and Ault Electric. These firms, along with Cosco Fire Protection, were integral to the team’s design/build effort and to the success of the project. The $42.5M, 190,000 s.f. barracks-complex project consisted of a 300-person barracks building, three two-story company operations facilities and one two-story battalion headquarters building, as well as an off-site propane tank farm, site improvements and landscaping.

BALLARD CONDOMINIUM PROJECT  (November 2007) --  Absher Construction Company has been selected by Security Properties to build the new $61M On-the-Park project in Ballard. The  eight-level mixed-use apartment project will be built on one acre in Seattle’s Ballard district, and will start with the demolition of an existing QFC store, followed by the excavation of a 30'-deep hole before construction can begin. Construction will begin in December. QFC will be the primary tenant of the ground-related level, which will be adjacent to and below 268-apartment units on five and half floors above grade. The project is expected to have a 24-month construction duration, and will utilize a new ISSI system of prefabricated interior metal-framed wall panels...

HARBORSIDE CONDOMINIUMS WRAP UP  (October 2007) -- Absher’s Harborside Condominium project, in Bremerton, WA, has reached substantial completion. This twin-tower, 78-unit, 190,538 s.f., $35M luxury condo project was built on Bremerton’s waterfront overlooking the Sinclair Inlet, and includes three underground parking levels. High-end interior finishes feature nine-foot ceilings, ornate woodwork, fireplaces and marble counters, with waterside units featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. The project primarily used post-tensioned concrete slabs with reinforced concrete sheer walls and columns. The project was developed by the owner, Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority under the state’s Community Renewal Act that allows cities to use special financial and development tools to attract business and private investment in downtown areas. Harborside was designed by Sienna Architecture of Seattle...

HIGH POINT PHASE II UNDERWAY  (October 2007) -- Absher’s High Point Phase II project is now full-steam ahead in west Seattle. Excavations and the first footings and foundations got underway in early September on this $48.57M public-housing project. Mithun of Seattle is the project’s architect; the project is expected to be completed in May 2009...

CHRISTIAN FAITH CENTER  (September 2007) -- Absher has completed work on the $35M Christian Faith Center in Federal Way -- one of the northwest's largest church facilities. The project includes a 4,000-seat, 180,000 s.f. sanctuary on the 53-acre site, and provides parking for 2,000 vehicles. Design services on the CFC project were provided by Lance Mueller and Associates of Seattle...

KALLES COMPLETE  (September 2007) -- Absher's most recent school project, the all-new Kalles Junior High School in Puyallup, opened on time for the first scheduled day of school to an enthusiastic student-body of 7th, 8th and 9th graders as well as faculty and administration. The 110,000 s.f., $26.8M school was designed by NWA of Seattle and was constructed on the same site as the existing school, which underwent demolition after the 2006-2007 school year wrapped up. Kalles marks Absher's 140th major school project...