Balfour Beatty company Howard S. Wright has been chosen for a $40m renovation project at the Salem Civic Center/City Hall in Salem, Oregon, US. 

It is aimed at transforming the facility into a workspace for mayor and city manager offices, City Council Chambers, Municipal Courts and Planning and Purchasing departments.  

The Salem Civic Center, constructed in 1970, is set to undergo exterior and interior renovations to meet 21st-century standards.  

The project will include a seismic retrofit, structural upgrades, and the construction of a new parking garage.  

Howard S. Wright, alongside Hacker Architects and CBTWO Architects, will spearhead the Civic Center renovations. 

The remainder of the full award for the design and preconstruction activities is scheduled to be contracted in the second quarter of 2025. 

With construction commencing in late 2025, the anticipated completion date for the project is early 2027.  

Howard S. Wright senior vice-president Ryan McGrew said: “Our seasoned team of experts and industry partners will deliver a state-of-the-art facility for the City of Salem’s personnel and will leverage our project-first approach to ensure we meet our client’s renovation goals. 

“Our team will also carefully work to preserve the buildings over half a century of history while also providing upgrades to improve the workplace for the city’s workforce. We look forward to working with our owner, design team and trade partners to bring this project to fruition by providing a facility that will bring the heart of Salem City operations back to life.” 

Previous projects by Howard S. Wright include the seismic retrofit and interior renovations of the Salem Public Library, the reconstruction of the Portland Building, and the refurbishment of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building.  

The latest announcement comes after Balfour Beatty was awarded a £27m ($35.41m) contract by Perth and Kinross Council for the Comrie flood protection scheme in Scotland, UK, last month.