BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER OF VIRGINIA
BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM OF VIRGINIA
"The historic Leigh Street Armory in Jackson Ward [was] transformed into the new Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia...The museum hired developer The M Cos. and Emerge Construction Group for the project...Mike Hopkins with The M Cos. said the firm will hire 70 to 90 people over the course of construction.
- Richmond BizSense
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SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND PROVIDING APPRENTICESHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
" Among the elements that makes this project stand apart of the role of black-owned businesses. At least 14 black-owned companies performed 70 percent of the work, according to Mike Hopkins, whose Emerge Construction Group was among them. Emerge, a Richmond company, served as the general contractor...Mr. Hopkins teamed with J&G Consulting to make the federal Section 3 requirements important to the work, helping to bring to the job inexperience workers...[and] small Section 3 companies".
2017 GOLD HAMMER AWARD
WINNER:
BEST LARGE RESTORATION
Black History Museum
and Cultural Center of Virginia
"...The construction of the museum, which began in 2012, had a strong positive impact on the surrounding community with a primary objective of including local and minority entities in the development process — one that mirrored the objective of the armory’s initial construction. During construction a group of 18 people received on-the-job training for the project. Black-owned businesses also played an integral role in the success of this project; 70% of the work was performed by fifteen black-owned companies. This tax credit project preserves the armory’s original façade and incorporates similar brickwork and masonry in its addition, creating a seamless transition from old to new." - Historic Richmond