MARLTON, N.J. and NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hill International (NYSE:HIL), the global leader in managing construction risk, announced today that the Bronx Zoo Lion House reconstruction project won a Gold Award from Building Design & Construction magazine as part of the 26th Annual Reconstruction Awards included in the magazine's September 2009 issue. Hill served as construction manager for the $60 million project which was completed in June 2008.
Astor Court sits at the heart of the 265-acre Bronx Zoo, and its six Beaux Arts buildings were constructed at the turn of the 20th Century to house exotic animals from around the world. When the Lion House was built in 1903, the brick and limestone facility was considered state-of-the-art, but as standards of animal care advanced, the lions were moved into a more natural setting, and the Lion House was shuttered in 1985. Restoring the Astor Court buildings was a key fixture of the Zoo's 2003 master plan.
For the renovation, Hill was tasked with restoring the building and adding 4,800 square feet of new exhibit space, 6,700 square feet of new plant and animal support space, a 3,500-square-foot multipurpose event space, and 6,700 square feet of mechanical space, all within the building's existing footprint. The renovated building, which achieved LEED Gold certification, now houses the Zoo's "Madagascar!" exhibit. The exhibit includes Nile crocodiles, lemurs, and hissing cockroaches, but no lions, which aren't native to Madagascar.
"We are honored that one of our marquis projects has been recognized for excellence," said D. Clarke Pile, P.E., Senior Vice President and New York Regional Manager for Hill.
Hill International, with 2,300 employees in 80 offices worldwide, provides program management, project management, construction management and construction claims and consulting services. Engineering News-Record magazine recently ranked Hill as the 8th largest construction management firm in the United States. For more information on Hill, please visit our website at www.hillintl.com.
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