Each year, the Chicago Building Congress (CBC) presents six “Merit Awards” to honor outstanding projects in greater Chicagoland built during the past three years. Primera is pleased to announce that our 31st Street Harbor project was presented with a Merit Award in the Infrastructure Construction category at the May 15th Awards Ceremony. Primera played a vital part of the consultant team selected by the Chicago Park District to design two new harbors along Chicago’s lakefront. The 31st Street Harbor has upwards of 1,000 seasonal and transient slips along with available indoor, winter boat storage and user amenities. Primera provided all mechanical and electrical engineering for both harbor buildings along with site utility design and structural component design.

The 31st Street Harbor building also includes a new 12,000 square foot community center/restaurant building and 335 space parking garage. The building is two levels and includes a commercial kitchen and dining area, community rooms, restrooms and showers, offices, and utility spaces. The parking structure is single story with a green roof at grade and provides winter heating for the portion used as boat storage (maintained to 45 degrees) with the remaining portion to be used for year-round parking.

Primera also designed a water-to-water geothermal heat pump system that is used as the main source for heating and cooling of the 31st Street garage building and Green Level community center. This system for the 31st Street Harbor is now the largest lake loop system in Lake Michigan.