FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 6, 2010

 New inclusion standard set for construction projects

LOUISVILLE – It started with the KFC Yum! Center, but an innovative program to put minorities and women to work on local construction projects has a future well beyond the new arena, according to a report released today.

The Louisville Urban League and a multitude of partners released the report showing that the KentuckianaWorks Construction Pipeline project has accomplished the following:

• Trained 293 candidates for work in construction
• Placed 111 of them into employment, including 95 minorities and 12 women
• Placed 35 graduates directly into construction jobs on the arena
• Helped the new arena construction project achieve or surpass its goals of 20 percent employment going to minorities, 5 percent to women and 60 percent to local workers

Jim Host, chairman of the Louisville Arena Authority, said he is proud of the Construction Pipeline's achievements on the arena and the benchmark it sets for work yet to come. “There’s never been a public project, or a semi-public project, built in the history of this state, that has had these requirements – and has lived up to the goals that were set,” he said. “And that shows there’s no reason why this type of goal can’t be set for future projects like this that are done in the commonwealth.”

The Construction Pipeline represents an unprecedented coalition of forces from the political, business and nonprofit worlds coming together to craft an unusually effective program to ensure inclusion on building work sites. Partners include:

• Louisville Urban League – the lead contractor, oversees recruitment and training of candidates
• Justice Resource Center – outreach and recruitment of candidates
• KentuckianaWorks – administers funding, brokers relationships among partners
• Greater Louisville Building and Construction Trades Council (coalition of 15 unions) – works with Urban League on developing curriculum and providing training
• Louisville Metro government – through its Louisville Metro Council passed an ordinance, signed by Mayor Jerry Abramson, setting forth goals on arena construction
• Louisville Arena Authority – general oversight of construction on the $238 million arena
• Commonwealth of Kentucky – through two governors, first Ernie Fletcher and now Steve Beshear, agreed to provide discretionary federal Workforce Investment Act dollars to the program
• Mortenson Construction and Mathis & Sons Inc. – the lead and secondary construction contractors on the arena project

When the recession finally ends and work on numerous major projects gets under way, the Construction Pipeline will get even busier, said Ben Richmond, president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League.

“The Construction Pipeline program started with the arena, but we believe it will live on with many other projects, including the Museum Plaza, the reworking of the Haymarket area, the Ohio River bridges construction, and so forth,” Richmond said. “It really is a ‘best-practices’ type of program that sets the standard for ensuring inclusion on a construction project.”

Download Report (click here)

Watch Video (click here)

Electronic News Blast (click here)

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About the Louisville Urban League

Since 1921, the Louisville Urban League has assisted disadvantaged people attain social and economic stability and prosperity through direct services and advocacy.  The League works to provide a skilled and diverse workforce; to increase homeownership; to revitalize neighborhoods and to develop our youth so they are prepared for careers in the modern day business world. The League’s work and results are evident in the lives of the over 11,000 people it touches each year. For more information, go to www.lul.org. 

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