Renovations of Lumière Place Casino Offer Smart, Accessible Atmosphere

A.J. Brown is pleased to add another casino to its list of completed projects with the recently finished interior renovations of the Casino in Lumière Place, located in the heart of Downtown St. Louis. The high-traffic nightlife attraction has more than 2,000 slot machines, 55 table games and a dedicated 13-table poker room. With non-stop action nearly 24 hours a day, Lumière required a minimum disruption to its daily operations, and called on A.J. Brown for assistance.

Renovation of the 75,000 square foot Casino wrapped up in January 2012. A.J. Brown reconfigured the space by installing a new central entrance and exit. To create an upscale and efficient atmosphere, A.J. Brown installed new soffits with extensive structural framing, including custom inlaid acrylic panels on the stainless steel frames. Stainless steel accents, reveals and wood wall coverings added to the finished look of the new entrance. Additional work included relocating table games and slot machines throughout the Casino, ensuring an accessible setting for guests so they don’t miss a beat.

A.J. Brown Delivers Peace-of-Mind With New Surgery Center

A.J. Brown has completed construction of St. Charles Surgery Center, a state-of-the-art eye surgery facility, the only one of its kind in St. Charles, MO. Owned and operated by Dr. Victor Clever, Dr. Joseph Clever and Dr. Joseph Gira, the building encompasses two surgery suites, a pre and post-operating area, exam rooms, administration areas and a large reception room.

This is the second medical building A.J. Brown has constructed for Dr. Gira and his partners. Construction of the new eye surgery facility took roughly five months to complete and was finalized in January 2012. The project was another success for the busy doctor: “Our ability to control the budget and the schedule resulted in a substantial saving to Dr. Gira’s construction loans,” says A.J. Brown Principal, Doug Rendleman.

A.J. Brown Helps to Spread Hope With New Building

For 30 years, Saint Elizabeth Adult Day Care Center has been serving the needs of aged and special needs persons in the St. Louis area. In an effort to enhance and expand its program to those it serves, St. Elizabeth needed another facility for its St. Louis center in a more accessible location. A.J. Brown was hired as the developer for the project, completing the new building in February 2012.

The new 9,000 square foot center features activity rooms, office areas, a meeting room, dining room and a full service kitchen. A.J. Brown provided and installed a fully engineered Fire Protection system, ensuring the center reflects St. Elizabeth’s mission to provide a safe, comfortable and stimulating environment for the elderly and persons with special needs. St. Elizabeth recently celebrated the grand opening of the new location at 3683 Cook Avenue with a special ribbon cutting ceremony.

A.J. Brown Brings Paula Deen’s Southern Charm to Hotel Buffet

A.J. Brown recently finished renovations on an appetizing project—bringing the Queen of Southern Cuisine, Paula Deen’s culinary vision and charm to life at popular hotel and gaming giant, Harrah’s in Tunica, Mississippi.

Extensive renovation on the existing buffet began with a trip to the Food Network star’s Georgia home, the setting for her popular TV show. The goal was to incorporate the themes derived from her family’s multiple restaurants into a cohesive, but unique setting.

The challenge was completing this detail-oriented project in just three months. A.J. Brown worked diligently to bring the star’s Southern flair to the 560-seat, cutting-edge restaurant modeled after her home. Extensive renovation included six serving stations each named after a Deen family member or restaurant. A.J. Brown successfully completed this unique, upscale buffet just in time for hungry fans.

A.J. Brown Transforms Outdated Casino Into Ultimate Nightlife Destination

A.J. Brown recently completed renovation on the 140,000 square foot casino and Sphere Bar located at Harrah’s in Tunica, Mississippi. The project required a complete transformation from an outdated gaming area with a 1980s theme to a modern and sophisticated space with 60 table games, more than 2,000 slots and one of the South’s largest poker rooms.

The entire project was completed within a seven-month timeframe, and work was performed in two-week phases totaling 14 phases. A.J. Brown worked to bring a non-stop action feel to the casino by incorporating a new High Limit salon, comfortable poker room, and Sphere Bar located in the heart of the casino. The high-tech project required installation of color kinetic lighting that dances when a Jack Pot is won. In addition, A.J. Brown created three new entrances to the casino along with total restroom renovations. This reconfiguration transformed the Harrah’s casino and bar into the ultimate nightlife destination.

St. Louis Buffet Gets a Cutting-Edge Culinary Makeover

When Harrah’s approached A.J. Brown with a new buffet proposal at its popular Maryland Heights location to be finished in a 9-month time frame, Dan Steuber, Principal for A.J. Brown’s entertainment projects, was excited for the challenge. “Harrah’s wanted to bring the latest in Las Vegas-style buffets to St. Louis,” recalls Dan. “We needed to create a space that married functionality with the cutting-edge modern designs and tastes that Vegas is known for.”

Renovation of the 26,000 square foot banquet area—formerly known as Town Square Buffet—began in March of 2007 with an open date scheduled for December 20 of that year. A.J. Brown reconfigured the space to include an interactive, seven-station buffet each with its own “foodscape” and designated kitchen. The challenge was to create a cohesive and attractive setting that encouraged guests to wander through the space, while still having distinct culinary themes at each restaurant station. Access, scheduling, phasing and unique materials made this job difficult, but A.J. Brown completed the Eat Up! Buffet on time, providing St. Louis with a taste of Las Vegas entertaining.

Construction On New Downtown Apartment Building a Quick Success

A.J. Brown has completed construction on the PD George Building, one of the newest high-rise apartment building renovations in downtown St. Louis. Formerly known as Ford Apartments, the 14-story PD George Building consists of 36 total apartments spanning over 12 floors, with the first two floors reserved for commercial and retail use.

Construction of the PD George Building wrapped up on February 11, 2010, exactly one year from starting the process, making it one of the fastest construction projects to take place in downtown over the last year. While managing the PD George project, A.J. Brown participated in the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative, a collaborative effort among companies, organizations and agencies to help local companies build successful diversity programs.

Hot Topic

Brewery Tradition Alive More Than Ever in St. Louis

It’s no secret that St. Louis has a rich history with beer, and A.J. Brown is proud to add breweries to its list of completed projects. A.J. Brown Principal, Doug Rendleman, jumped at the opportunity to help convert the old Falstaff Brewery in Midtown into a craft brewery called, “Six Row Brewing Company.” “Right around the time that InBev took over Anheuser-Busch, a few friends approached me about doing the construction,” says Doug. “I just really liked the timing and thought it would be a fun project.”

Doug was hired on as the Project Executive behind the brewery’s construction and oversaw the entire process until Six Row opened for business on December 5, 2009. The choice of Six Row’s new building preserves the proud past that was once the historic Falstaff Brewery with a new foundation for a bright future. A.J. Brown reconfigured the historic building to facilitate a new copper seven-barrel brewing system. The system includes fermentation tanks and a cooling system, steam boiler system, walk-in coolers and brite tanks. In addition to the brew operations area, restaurant space and a retail bar were designed for on-site sale of kegs, growlers and beer by the glass.

Outreach

Haiti One Year Later: Milot Mission Shows Progress

In February 2010, A.J. Brown Principal Doug Rendleman and other St. Louis business leaders traveled to the Haitian village of Milot with a mission to facilitate the construction of support buildings on the Hôpital Sacré Coeur campus. January 12, 2011 marked the earthquake’s first anniversary, and Doug can proudly say that progress is showing. “The building that I worked on is now complete,” says Doug. “It has been a privilege to be a part of this experience and I really look forward to future projects for the hospital’s campus.”

Hôpital Sacré Coeur is the only reliable medical provider in the Milot region and is responsible for providing public health services to the entire region’s population of 225,000. With the aftermath of the tragic earthquake, the “Center for the Rural Development of Milot,” or CRUDEM, had plans to permanently expand the hospital campus.

Doug has been participating with CRUDEM since 2009 and has plans on going back to Milot in 2011 to work on another building.

For more information, or how you can help, visit www.crudem.org.

Medical Office Building with Surgery Center a Big Success

AJ Brown managed the construction and extensive site work for a new medical office building in Des Peres, Missouri. The three-story, 57,000 SF project included building construction, interior build-out and parking site work. The building was designed to serve multiple tenants and included an eye surgery center, endoscopy center and eye exam offices, all with very specific requirements. Due to the on-site surgery center, a generator back-up system was essential.

Hot Topic

Worship Centers Strong Segment

While most market sectors have softened, there is a bright spot. This year, churches and other religious centers will spend an estimated $8 billion on new facilities in the U.S. AJ Brown has spearheaded several worship center construction and renovation projects and works successfully with congregations of all shapes and sizes.

“Our success lies in strong communication throughout the process and accountability regarding construction costs,” said project manager Dan Carmody. Recent projects include:

• Forever Oak Hill Chapel
• Cape First Assembly of God
• Bonhomme Presbyterian Church

Outreach

Mission in Milot

At the end of February, AJ Brown Principal Doug Rendleman and other St. Louis business leaders traveled to the Haitian village of Milot. Their mission was to facilitate the construction of support buildings on the Hospital Sacre Coeur campus. Doug’s participation with CRUDEM, which stands for “Center for the Rural Development of Milot,” began in 2009. To find out more about CRUDEM’s efforts in Haiti, please visit www.crudem.org