Three Leopardo Projects Honored with 2024 CISCO Project of the Year Award

Leopardo is excited to announce that three of its projects have been honored with the 2024 Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) Project of the Year Award. This annual program recognizes the top quality, union construction projects across six categories and represents the pinnacle of excellence in Chicagoland construction. Leopardo and its project teams will be honored at a ceremony on Friday, January 31 at Harry Caray’s restaurant at the Westin in Lombard, Illinois.

The three projects to be honored in their respective categories are the Downers Grove Civic Center (New Construction – Suburbs, Above $20M); Valent Biosciences Biorational Research Center Expansion (New Construction – Chicago/Suburbs, Below $20M); and RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Rush Lisle (Rehabilitation).

The Downers Grove Civic Center is an 80,900-square-foot municipal building that successfully merges police, village hall, and School District 58 operations under one roof. The new facility boasts a range of amenities, including shared fitness spaces, an accessible roof garden, a public plaza, and modern council chambers. The police department features highly specialized facilities, including a dedicated entrance, a two-bay sally port, a five-lane firing range, and a fully equipped evidence lab. The site also offers surface parking for staff and visitors, secured parking for police and village vehicles, and is prepared for future multifamily building development.

The critical expansion project for Valent BioSciences—a global leader in the research, development, and commercialization of environmentally compatible technologies for agriculture, public health, and forest health—involved demolishing existing spaces and constructing open offices and laboratories, resulting in a total project size of 25,000 square feet. The project featured key areas such as Synthbio Analytical, Synthbio Open Lab, Chem Analytical, DSP Growth, and a Pilot Plant. Situated in and adjacent to a previously remodeled area at Innovation Park, the project required meticulous coordination with the landlord and other tenants. Valent BioSciences collaborated previously with Leopardo on a substantial 70,000-square-foot laboratory and office build-out, a project that fostered a strong trust that allowed the team to confidently address the complexities of the new project and once again deliver a successful result.

The extensive renovation and expansion of an existing former office building into the state-of-the-art RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Rush Lisle included a 2,300-SF, one-story addition for a LINAC vault, spaces for radiation oncology, medical oncology, infusion clinic, pharmacy and lab services, as well as advanced imaging center with MRI, CT Scan, Ultrasound, X-ray, and mammography. The building also houses therapy areas for meditation, massage, and group exercise. A major facade upgrade was completed, including the addition of ACM metal panels and staining of the existing granite to enhance the Rush Hospital branding look.