Former Brownfield Site Turns into a “Pearl” of a Project at Carroll University

A redevelopment project in Waukesha earned Ayres Associates and its client, Berg Management Company, a State Finalist Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin (ACEC WI). A banquet celebrating the Carroll University Student Living and Business Center project and the rest of the 2015 Engineering Excellence Awards entries was held March 20 in Kohler. Shown here with the award, from left, are Bill and Joanne Huelsman, representing Berg Management Company; Lynn Scherbert, environmental engineer at Ayres; Catherine Huelsman, also of Berg Management; and Scott Wilson, vice president at Ayres.

Lynn, who managed the project that transformed the once-blighted, run-down, industrial area into a vibrant student housing complex, says she knew from the beginning stages that the project had potential.

“It was a lot to take on, but Berg Management and the University had a vision and knew the positive impact a project of this magnitude could make once the remediation issues were behind them,” she says.

The revitalized area is now home to Carroll University’s Pioneer, Frontier, and Prairie halls and an array of retail outlets. According to university officials, the residence halls continue to be popular with students and are well used year-round.

Scott, an industry expert in brownfield redevelopments, says he often shares with clients that “a brownfield is a grain of sand around which the pearl of community develops.”

“That axiom could not fit better than with the Berg Management project for the Carroll University Student Living and Business Center,” he says “The Berg Management Team, led by owners Al and Catherine Huelsman, had a community vision that was bold and ambitious. The end result is a ‘pearl,’ which is now known as the Carroll University Student Living and Business Center, a former brownfield site.”

Read more about Ayres Associates’ award-winning project in this article from our TRENDS magazine and on the Projects portion of our website. Additional details on all the projects earning accolades from ACEC Wisconsin can be found here.