Project Spotlight: IU Jacobs School of Music East Studio Building

If your travels take you to Bloomington, make sure to stop at the corner of Third Street and Jordan Avenue.  The Hagerman Group is currently constructing a new building for the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  Consistently ranked as one of the top schools of music in the country, this facility will give the school the additional space it desperately needs.  The 85,000 square-foot building will provide approximately 100 studio rooms, for use by faculty and students for teaching and practicing.

The building was initially designed to control vibration and sound from one studio space to the next.  The building’s columns and floors are constructed of concrete (performed by Hagerman’s Concrete division), and the shell consists of masonry block and limestone (performed by Hagerman’s Masonry division). Additional sound control details include floated wood subfloors, acoustical sealant and vibration isolation devices for mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment.

The sitework for the project takes into account that the building is located at one of the gateways to Indiana University’s campus, with a plaza at the corner of Third St. and Jordan Ave. When complete, this building will be a showcase piece for the Jacobs School of Music and Indiana University.  Those occupying the space are very much looking forward to taking possession of their new building in time for the new school year in the Fall of 2013.

North elevation of the building (June 2012)

Northeast elevation of the building (September 2012)

Southeast elevation of the structure (September 2012)

Plaza at the intersection of Third and Jordan (September 2012

Andy Saska | Project Manager



Oktoberfest at The Bangerts'

As the cool air develops at night and the smell of bonfires cloud the air, we can hear the sounds of high school football in the distance and we know fall is officially here.  Despite loving the summer for boating weather and winter for the hockey season, fall has a special place in my heart as well.

Each year, the Bangert family hosts an Oktoberfest party at our house to celebrate our German heritage, eat delicious German cuisine, imbibe in some German hops, and spend an evening with friends.  We ask everyone to dress up in German attire and spend most of the night outside warming ourselves by the fire.  We serve only German and Oktoberfest beer, bratwurst with special beer sauce, homemade German hot potato salad, sauerkraut, sauerkraut balls, pretzels, and of course, many hot and spicy mustards.  The menu is similar to the real Oktoberfest in Munich. In addition to the true German food, we have hours of traditional and modern polka music.

Similar to most other Oktoberfest celebrations our party falls in the month of September.  Why does October’s namesake party always seem to be observed in the month of September you ask?  Well for us it works well around hockey season, it’s still warm enough and stays light until 8pm, and most importantly it’s in the middle of the true Oktoberfest in Germany.  This year particularly, as we were outside and the harvest moon shined upon us, I heard a few different stories on what the true Oktoberfest [hosted in Munich Germany every year] is really celebrating and realized many people don’t realize the true inception of this now annual event.

The first iteration of what we now know as Oktoberfest was actually held on October 12, 1810 in honor of Prince Ludwig, who later became King Ludwig I in celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  The citizens of Munich attended the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.  Horse races that marked the close of the event were repeated in subsequent years giving rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.

The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for better weather conditions [one of the reasons our family hosts it the last Saturday of September].  Today, Oktoberfest is a 16-day (depending on the year 17-days or 18-days) festival taking place during the 16-days up to, and including, the first Sunday in October

The modern day Oktoberfest may be similar to we know as a State Fair with the festival celebrating the German traditions, agriculture, fair rides, parades, and their country’s breweries.

So now we know, every year, as Oktoberfest celebrations commence in cities and towns across the world, we are actually celebrating a wedding reception that took place over 200 years ago. I wonder why no one throws a party on my wedding anniversary every year?

Jay Bangert | Project Manager

Falling for a Dream

For 30 years, Kitty Arvin knew she wanted to jump out of a plane. But for 30 years, her fear of dying trumped her dream of falling through the sky.

But that all changed as she approached her 63^rd birthday. “I didn’t want to be one of those 90-year-old women who gets notoriety for doing something daring at the age of 90,” Kitty quipped. “I wanted to be a 63-year-old woman who did it!”

So, on what Kitty describes as the “first most beautiful, perfect, day of the summer,” she arrived at the Frankfort airport promptly at 10 a.m. to prepare for something she’d wanted to do for three decades: Kitty was going to jump out of a plane. Because she was doing a tandem jump with an experienced skydiver (a tattooed Slovik with a Mohawk hairdo and a good sense of humor), she went through several steps before leaving the ground. Orientation? Check. Waivers signed? Check. Harness fitting? Check. Loaded on the plane and heading up to 1,300 feet? CRAP! “That trip up to 1,300 feet took forever” she exclaimed. “For awhile I thought maybe we were flying to Chicago!”

During that ascent, Kitty second-guessed her decision to choose skydiving over an iPad. “I was given these two options for my birthday gift,” she explained. “By the time we hit 1,000 feet, that iPad was looking pretty good!”

There were a few jumpers who went first, so by the time Kitty made her way to the door she was ready. Sitting on the floor of the plane, she dangled her feet over the side, then rocked back and forth just a couple of times before making her exit. Then, the 60-second free-fall began. “This was my favorite part of the whole experience,” Kitty says. “Free-falling was tremendous. I felt like I was flying. Unbelievable.”

She was, however, surprised at just how windy it was. “You couldn’t get a decent spit if you wanted to!” she exclaims. Once the chute opened, Kitty gently floated to earth. All totalled, she spent a little more than five minutes in the air. Kitty describes the overall experience in one word: Wow.

Would she do it again? “Absolutely.” While she has no date set for her next skydiving adventure, she says she’s more than happy to go with anyone who’s interested in doing it. Any takers?

Stephanie Torr | Director of Business Development

Football Season Is Back!

Fantasy football nuts rejoice!  After nearly seven months of agonizing anticipation, America’s new favorite pastime is back and in full swing.   As the fall weather begins to set in, football fans across the country settle back into their game day routines and voice their support for their favorite team.  Tailgates-a-plenty, team rivalries turning friends into foes, and diehard fans wearing their emotions on their sleeves…all things to love about the sport.  Whether you prefer the amateur competition of college football, or the pros are your cup of tea, everyone can agree that the ups-and-downs of the game make for unforgettable experiences.

There are a few factors to watch for in this young football season, namely:

- College football parity, or a lack thereof.  Alabama is the obvious #1, and the SEC is the conference to beat, but can any dark horse upset the balance of power?

- The new college football playoff system.  While it does not take effect until 2014, longtime BCS bashers are rejoicing in the fact that teams will now be able to control their own destiny in making it to the national championship.   There are still ways the playoff system can be improved, but at least it will remove the “BCS equation” from the mix.

- Concussions.  A serious threat to all ranks of football, concussions and their after affects are becoming more prevalent as athletes continue to become bigger, faster, and stronger.  There is still much to be learned in regards to concussion symptoms, prevention and treatment, but at least the issue remains on the forefront.  From Pop Warner to the NFL, head trauma is a main concern of all participants, as it could severely affect the quality of their lives in the future.

- Replacement Referees.  We knew it would be bad; we didn’t know it would be this bad.  Through three weeks of football, the masses are beginning to turn on the NFL’s “replacement refs”.  Due to a work stoppage by the league’s regular referees, the replacement refs have been thrown into the fire and are certainly showing their inexperience.  This is causing fans, players, and coaches to question the NFL’s intent and insinuate that the integrity of the game is being jeopardized.

Adam Keller |Project Engineer

The Hagerman Group Completes Project at Notre Dame Stadium

Being in the stands for the recent Notre Dame-Purdue game brought me a great sense of pride.  I have close connections to both great universities; I grew up in South Bend and I am also an alumnus of Purdue University.  The Hagerman Group has many of the same connections.

The Hagerman Group recently wrapped up construction on a significant renovation project at Notre Dame Stadium.  The “House that Rockne Built” was completed in 1930 for roughly $750,000.  Since that time, fans have been witness to quite a bit of history in this great venue: the rise of the forward pass, the “Game of the Century”, the Four Horsemen, 11 national championship teams, seven Heisman Trophy winners, and much more. 

Although the stadium was renovated in 1997, most of the structure still contains the original concrete, steel, brick, and masonry.  We just finished replacing the original drainage tunnel that runs all the way around the field and carries all the water from the field and lower bowl out of the stadium.  This required shoring the structure, demolishing the original tunnel and brick wall, and replacing it to match the original.

Aided tremendously by a record warm winter, The Hagerman Group was able to deliver this project ahead of schedule and within budget to the university.  To the joy of many runners, Notre Dame was even able to have the finish line of the annual Sunburst Race in the stadium, which was not scheduled to happen due to construction.   Yet another successful project for a great long-time client of The Hagerman Group.  Go Irish!

John Kilbury

The Hagerman Group Gives CANI a Helping Hand

The Hagerman Group is proud to thank Kyle Wilson, Kris Knox, Tom Werling, and Jim Woodruff for participating on behalf of the Indiana Construction Association to give CANI a hand with a community service project last Thursday.  CANI is a nonprofit organization that helps communities, families and individuals overcome poverty.

The team members, all from local construction and paving firms, gathered at 217 W. Fourth St. to landscape a home and build a back porch/step area. The property was donated a year ago to CANI by Wells Fargo Bank.

The house is being rehabbed for a family. The group of 10 men started at 8 a.m., and were planning to work until 4 p.m.  By working on this project, they were helping the family who will live in the home, the community, and potentially the neighborhood by cleaning up the property and giving the house curb appeal.  The Hagerman Group was joined by Hanson Aggregates, Fox Contractors Corp. and E&B Paving. 

Stacy Neill
Marketing Director

The Hagerman Group Receives Another LEED Project Certification

I am happy to announce that The Hagerman Group has received another LEED project certification! 

Ivy Tech Community College Student Life Center in Fort Wayne, IN, achieved LEED SILVER!!!  The Hagerman Group played the role of Construction Manager on this $8,360,000 project completed in 2008.  Congratulations to those who contributed to the success of this project:  Jim Burkett, Kitty Arvin, Terry Greene, Jeff VanHorn, and Jay Bangert!   

Other external project team members include MSKTD & Associates, Fluid Dynamics, Inc., and our clients for life Ivy Tech Community College.

**This brings our number of certified LEED projects to 7** 

Karen Schutte

On Site Project Engineer | Sustainability Coordinator