Clark Dietz client, the City of Kenosha, Wisconsin has partnered with public and private sector entities on the Kenosha Emerging Leaders Academy (KELA) Project. Local businesses, organizations, and institutions are collaborating to provide this opportunity for youth development in education, technology, and workforce preparation.
The completed building will offer students access to a variety of educational resources including computers, digital cameras, music studio recording, virtual reality systems, robotics, and 3D printers. Mentors and volunteers will help guide students in their pursuit of new ideas, advanced skills, and STEM opportunities.
KELA will make use of the former Brown Bank building located at 23rd Avenue and 63rd Street in Uptown Kenosha. The location was important to the project as it is located within blocks of the proposed Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, which will prioritize innovation, education, and work opportunities.
Clark Dietz will serve as the Project’s consulting engineer, providing overall project management, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection services. Complete transformation of the building includes the addition of new classrooms, offices, a state-of-the-art technical lab, and upgrading the building’s HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical and technology infrastructure as well as providing an ADA compliant facility.
“Over the course of our existence in Kenosha, we have worked on a number of important projects in the City. However, KELA has the potential to be a community game-changer, and we are excited to be part of it. This project truly allows us to ‘Engineer Quality of Life.’ We are proud to be working with so many great organizations who are just as committed to the residents of Kenosha as we are,” says Nirav Patel, Clark Dietz Vice President and MEP Team Leader. “KELA is a project that will inspire students and similar leadership programs. We would love to see some of these students pursue careers in engineering or technology!”
A list of participating organizations includes institutions such as the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Carthage College, Herzing University, and Gateway Technical College. Corporate partners backing the project include Best Buy and Jockey International. Supporting community organizations and non-profits are comprised of the Kenosha YMCA, Students Engagement thru Groups and Activities, gener8tor, and the Mahone Fund.
Project design started in 2021 with construction scheduled to begin early Summer of 2022. The facility is scheduled to be completed by early Spring of 2023. Read more on Kenosha.com HERE.
