THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 1994 TAG: 9409140483
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE KNEPLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Two construction contractors have teamed up to help give minority-owned businesses a better chance of working on multimillion-dollar downtown development projects.
Turner Construction Co., headquartered in New York, and Curtex Construction Corp. of Norfolk will hold a free ``Contractor's College'' starting Sept. 27.
The companies will be the general contractors for the new Tidewater Community College campus in downtown Norfolk. Construction is expected to begin by January and completed by July 1996.
``We thought this might be a good fit to encourage some minority participation in the project,'' said Curtis Cole Jr., president of Curtex.
Cole said he hopes the training program also will help some minority-owned businesses win subcontractor bids on the MacArthur Center downtown shopping mall. Construction will begin next spring.
``We're going to try to give them an opportunity,'' he said. ``If you don't get to home plate, you definitely can't hit a home run, or a hit, or even strike out.''
The program is open to all subcontractors, but it will be geared primarily toward minority-owned companies, Cole said.
In recent years, many local black community leaders criticized the Norfolk city government for not having many minority-owned subcontractors on the Harbor Park and Nauticus waterfront projects.
Some of the same leaders now applaud the Turner/Curtex subcontractor training program.
``It's an excellent idea,'' said Vice Mayor Paul R. Riddick, a former president of the Norfolk branch of the NAACP. ``At least it will be a start. It should let minorities know there is a place for them in the process.''
The training program seeks to boost subcontractor knowledge on construction management practices, such as estimating, scheduling, marketing, cost control, bonding, contracts and accounting.
Charles Peek, president of the Norfolk Residents Organization representing public housing tenants, noted another potential benefit. If minority subcontractors expand their work, he said, they could increase their hiring from low-income inner-city neighborhoods.
The Turner company, an international general contractor and construction manager, has organized subcontractor training programs for 22 years.
The company has been involved in many major projects, including construction of the Charlotte Coliseum, home of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. Turner is building the stadium for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.
Locally, Turner constructed the Norfolk Southern Tower office building. Turner and Curtex combined to build the headquarters for the United Negro College Fund in Fairfax.
Cole was a midlevel manager for Turner before starting his own business eight years ago. He taught in Contractor's College programs in Washington and Baltimore.
He will be one of the instructors in the Norfolk program.
The Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which is coordinating development of the TCC campus, has endorsed the subcontractor training program.
``It's a very good outreach effort, particularly to minority businesses,'' said Stephen W. Cooper, the agency's real estate development director. ``It's also good public relations wise and from a business perspective.''
Classes will be held on six consecutive Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 27.
Tuesday is the registration deadline for the Contractor's College. Call 622-3100. by CNB