MidwayChamber.com

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Walsh wins contract to build 7-mile St. Paul segment

ST. PAUL – June 23, 2010 – The Metropolitan Council today awarded the first heavy construction contract for the Central Corridor light rail transit (LRT) Project to Walsh Construction to build the seven-mile St. Paul segment of the line.

Walsh’s $205.1 million award includes betterment work valued at $10.4 million that was requested by, and will be paid for, by cooperating agencies and utilities.

“This is another exciting milestone for the Central Corridor project,” said Peter Bell, chair of the Met Council. “While we haven’t had any ceremony or ribbon-cutting, the fact is we are starting construction this summer on the largest and most important transit improvement project in state history.”

Construction is expected to begin in August east of the state Capitol on Robert and 12th streets north of Interstate 94, with utility relocation work there expected to start soon after July Fourth. Most of the heavy construction on University Avenue will occur in 2011 between Emerald Street and Hamline Avenue and in 2012 between Hamline and Robert. The work in downtown St. Paul will occur in 2011-2012.

Bids for the heavy construction work on the line’s western three miles are to be opened July 27. The Met Council is scheduled to award that contract Aug. 25. Prep work will begin in September to retrofit the Washington Avenue Bridge to accommodate LRT trains by strengthening the bridge piers. This work will not affect vehicular or pedestrian/bicycle traffic on the bridge during the fall 2010 semester. In December, crews will begin the process to tie in the Central Corridor line from the Hiawatha Line just west of the Cedar-Riverside Station to west of the future West Bank Station. The bulk of the construction on the Minneapolis segment will start in spring 2011.

The project is able to begin heavy construction due to advance funding commitments from its partners and federal approval of this arrangement. Under this same arrangement, the project began improvements in May on streets around the East Bank campus of the University of Minnesota and utility relocation work last year on Fourth Street in St. Paul. The FTA has agreed to reimburse the project partners for the federal share of this advanced work once it awards a Full Funding Grant Agreement this fall.

Work on the seven-mile St. Paul segment includes:

* Relocating utilities necessary for the LRT trackway
* Constructing nearly seven miles of embedded double track
* Fully reconstructing streets where track is being installed
* Building 14 stations from Westgate Station to Union Depot Station
* Modifying two bridges (on University over Highway 280 and on Cedar Street over Interstates 94 and 35E)

* Installing concrete paving for signalized intersections
* Building an infiltration trench for collecting storm water
* Constructing at-grade pedestrian crossings
* Demolishing the vacant Bremer Bank building and reconnecting the skyway

Steps to help businesses, property owners
The Central Corridor Project Office has taken steps to eliminate or reduce construction-related impediments to businesses and property owners. These steps include:

* Limiting construction of each segment on University Avenue to two-thirds at a time while maintaining a lane of traffic on the other third.
* Requiring contractors to restore the street in front of any business within 150 days and the sidewalk within 15 days.
* Implementing a contractor incentive program to encourage responsiveness, create a partnership between contractors and the community and promote cooperation. Evaluation criteria will include conformance with notification requirements, timely response to public concerns, maintenance of vehicle access and accessible pedestrian routes and cleanliness of construction sites.
* Issuing weekly emailed construction updates to provide the public with advance notice of routes that are closed and their alternates. The sign-up form to receive the emails is at: http://tinyurl.com/29kjwm8
* Holding public construction meetings for businesses and the public to get updates and a look ahead from project staff and utilities.
* Setting up a construction hotline and posting the number, 651-602-1404, in prominent locations throughout a work zone.
* Assigning multilingual outreach coordinators from the community to be liaisons between the project and the public from the engineering phase through construction.
* Distributing a brochure to businesses on the corridor and nearby residents about how the project will communicate construction information and how it can be reached with questions and concerns.

Position Description for President & Executive Director
Send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to chair@midwaychamber.com by close of business June 29th please confirm email with read receipt.

COMPANY
Midway Chamber of Commerce

LOCATION
Geographical area for Midway Chamber of Commerce: St Paul, MN, from State Capital on University Ave west to Minneapolis border, North to Roseville and South to Grand Ave. Many chamber members are located throughout the Metro area as well.

DYNAMIC MEMBERSHIP, EXTENSIVE HISTORY
For over 90 years the Midway Chamber of Commerce has been committed to building a strong local economy and strengthening, enhancing, and protecting business. It serves its diverse nearly 400-company membership by providing a broad array of valuable services including: local government advocacy; networking; community involvement; information access; and high profile events and programs.

The Chamber is led by a 20 member volunteer Board of Directors, who are highly engaged in the chamber and equally involved in the greater metro community both with civic and business initiatives.

The Midway Chamber is financially sound and entering a critical phase of its history as construction for Central Corridor Light Rail begins. Among its objectives are the following:

• Creating an environment that promotes business, thereby strengthening the community.
• Driving public policy on behalf of the business community.
• Achieving high levels of member satisfaction and loyalty.
• Continually improving the Chamber’s financial position.
• Operating the Chamber with the excellence, innovation and efficiency in accordance with its values. Among these core values are the following: Being member focused; excellence; integrity; innovation; teamwork; leadership; and diversity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The President & Executive Director must be a dynamic, passionate, and strategic leader who can lead the future vitality, relevance, and impact of the Chamber. S/he will be a visionary with responsibilities for the overall leadership and management of this organization and will be accountable for the effective and efficient operation of the organization including financial management.

The President & Executive Director will have a strong external focus, serving as a key spokesperson and an advocate for the business community and will be able to successfully operate at very high levels of influence with key government, community and business leaders. S/he will be charged with working closely with the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors to focus the Chamber’s priorities and balance the needs of its members, including businesses that are large and small, new and established, traditional and non-traditional in current and future economies of the area.

Critical success factors for the new President & Executive Director:
The next President & Executive Director of the Midway Chamber of Commerce will be evaluated by her/his success in the following areas:

• Promoting and advocating for long term success of member businesses
• Demonstrated fund-raising success
• Integrated marketing communications leadership
• Ability to operate the Chamber in a fiscally responsible and transparent manner and achieve budget goals
• Conducting a successful comprehensive membership campaign and events program to sustain the chamber
• Engaging board leadership and membership in critical issues facing the chamber and area businesses

Specifically, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:

• Strategic Direction. In conjunction with the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, refines and implements the long-range strategic plan for the Chamber. Facilitates the development and successful implementation of the organization’s vision, as well as strategic and operational plans. Maximizes and leverages strong Board relationships and engages Board members. Plans and organizes Executive Committee and Board of Directors meetings on a regular basis.
• Promotion, Advocacy and Public Policy. In conjunction with the Executive Committee and Board, identifies priority policy issues and positions and leads in shaping and advancing the Chamber’s agenda. Collaborates successfully with other organizations in advocating a pro-business agenda in particular for impacted businesses during construction of light rail. Serves as a community leader, a visionary, and alliance builder to ensure a vibrant economic environment and high quality of life for both employers and their employees from companies and organizations of all sizes.
• Membership Growth and Development. Provides leadership in membership to ensure there is a compelling value proposition that attracts and retains members. Personally engages in membership development.
• Integrated Communication/Marketing/Public Relations. Provides leadership in ongoing collaborative efforts for impacted businesses during construction of light rail. Utilizes chamber website, web based communication, external media and social media to communicate with membership, facilitate interaction between members and to promote events. Goal to enhance the overall brand and image of the local business community and demonstrate the many successes achieved by the Chamber to external audiences.
• Non-dues revenue, sponsorships and event planning. In conjunction with staff, committees and board, will lead effort to produce events that attract attendance, support expectations of sponsors and achieve budget goals.
• Administration. Manages a highly effective and efficient organization as measured by achievement of priority goals, membership satisfaction and growth, revenue generation to support priorities, and quality programs and initiatives. Develops and effectively manages annual budgets that are aligned to the strategic goals of the Chamber. Ensures financial soundness, transparency and a balanced budget annually.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / QUALIFICATIONS
Ideal candidates will have a unique combination of personal and professional qualities, including:

• 5+ years experience as a successful business leader with business acumen and the proven ability to manage budgets, staff and volunteers.
• Board management experience.
• Ability to think strategically while considering new perspectives; possesses strong mental agility.
• Strong political savvy; a diplomat.
• A successful track record for engaging, partnering and building alliances with a wide range of constituencies and influencers that includes business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, elected officials and the media; strong relationship building skills.
• A track record as a proactive advocate for an organization; working knowledge of city government
• Economic development knowledge is a strong plus.
• The ability to align diverse interest groups on issues and opportunities that will benefit the overall business community; a consensus builder with a personal style that engenders confidence.
• A stellar communicator, both oral and written.
• A motivator and advocate with genuine interest and passion for business issues and opportunities
• Proven experience recruiting, developing, motivating and retaining a strong, diverse staff and volunteers in a team-oriented environment; an effective delegator.

EDUCATION
An undergraduate degree is preferred.
COMPENSATION
A competitive compensation package will be based on the experience of the qualified candidate, package may include:

• Salary range of $60,000 to $70,000 per year
• Full medical and dental for employee
• 401k with possible contribution match

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