Category: News And Awards

A new partnership between Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), JCP Construction and the non-profit Social Development Commission (SDC) aims to train future construction workers and redevelop city-owned foreclosed homes, but may need additional funding to grow the program.

The idea, born out of Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference held in Milwaukee in 2018, uses an approach whereby the city sells vacant homes for $1 to an affiliate of JCP Construction. The growing firm would coordinate the renovation work. MATC students, supervised by professors, would rehab the homes.

The group will start with a home at 2606 N. Holton St. on the border of the Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods. City records indicate the home, built in 1890, was acquired by the city in January via property tax foreclosure. Since 2016, the Department of Neighborhood Services has issued over 20 violations to the property, including the requirement to register a vacant property.

The program is modeled in part under another program previously operated by Milwaukee Public Schools. “When I was approached about this project I was pretty excited. We had a similar program when I went to Milwaukee Tech,” said JCP’s Jalin Phelps at a July 2nd hearing of the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee. David Polk, Associate Dean of Apprenticeship Trades and Industry at MATC, told the committee he also remembers working on a rehab house during his time at Milwaukee Tech (now Bradley Tech High School).

“You can’t just be all theory. You need some hands-on experience,” said Phelps.

Read the full article here.

A city-owned house would be sold for $1 to a local construction firm — which will work with Milwaukee Area Technical College students to make repairs — under a new proposed program.

The pilot program is trying to accomplish two things: repair a dilapidated, foreclosed home so it can again have residents and generate property taxes, and provide job training for people who want to be in the construction trades.

Milwaukee has done similar efforts with nonprofit organizations and Lynde and Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School.

If approved by the Common Council, this would mark the first time the city has worked with MATC and a private firm, said Amy Turim of the Department of City Development.

The proposal will have its initial public review by the city Redevelopment Authority at its Thursday board meeting.

The idea came out of last year’s national Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, which was hosted in Milwaukee.

That led DCD to contact technical college officials about working together on reducing the number of vacant foreclosed homes owned by the city.

Milwaukee owns around 800 residential properties through property tax foreclosure. Around half are to be demolished, but the remaining buildings are candidates for redevelopment.

City officials contacted MATC because of the college’s role in training new construction workers, Turim said.

A vacant two-story house, at 2606 N. Holton St., is to be sold for $1 to an investment group formed by JCP Construction LLC.

JCP Construction will coordinate renovations done by MATC students, supervised by college instructors and the Social Development Commission, which operates programs to fight poverty.

That allows the students to earn college credit and gain hands-on experience.

Also, the improved house can then be sold, with some of the proceeds helping pay for the project’s expenses.

Along with the house, the Redevelopment Authority would provide a $25,000 grant to help fund the renovations, Turim said.

For MATC, the program could provide experience for students in such areas as interior design and landscaping, as well as the construction trades.

Also, the college could attract additional funding sources to help expand the program, Turim said.

“We’re really excited about this partnership,” she said.

Read original article as printed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

JCP Construction is thankful for receiving the Mayor’s 2019 Design Award and proud to have been a part of the team for the Bader Philanthropies Headquarters project.

The Mayor’s Design Awards are presented in an ongoing effort to recognize design excellence throughout the City of Milwaukee. Recipients have added value to their neighborhoods by restoring, constructing or enhancing their properties in a way that respects the urban fabric and contributes to the character of their surroundings.

The 22nd Annual Mayor’s Design Award ceremony was held on Thursday, May 23th, 2019 at UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

JCP Contruction was recently selected as Best MBE/DBE in the Daily Reporter’s 2019 Reader Rankings. The Daily Reporter describes this publication as an opportunity for their readers to pick the best of the best in many construction-related categories. Unlike other award events, this honor is selected by clients, colleagues and customers based on the voters’ experience and a company’s reputation in its market.

The Daily Reporter sent questionnaires to their print, digital and eBlast readers who then picked the winners in each category. This year they received 1,107 responses to the survey. These awards are a reflection of their readers and who they think are the best of the best.

We are thankful to all who voted for JCP Construction and grateful for this honor. We’d also like to congratulate all of the other winners!

JCP Construction was proud to help support the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Program by participating in the 25th Annual Desert Classic as a Tee Sponsor. James Phelps of JCP Construction was glad to escape Wisconsin’s winter weather for a short time as he traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona for the event and finally get some much needed warmth and sunlight.

Proceeds from the Desert Classic help support patient care, clinical research and patient and staff educational programs in the Clinical Cancer Center at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. Since its inception, nearly $2.2 million has been raised for the Cancer Center through the Desert Classic.

BizTimes recently featured a project that JCP Construction is proud to be involved with. A segment of the article is below.

African American Chamber launches innovation and co-working space

Hub is targeted to African-American entrepreneurs

The African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin plans to open a new innovation and co-working space designed for African-American entrepreneurs, which it has named Legacy.

General contractor JCP Construction is currently constructing Legacy in a 4,212-square-foot building at 1920 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Milwaukee. Galbraith Carnahan Architects designed the project.

In addition to co-working space for entrepreneurs, the building will house the AACCW’s offices and SHARED, a community commercial kitchen for food entrepreneurs. It is expected to open in July.

“The main focus for having this co-working space, this Legacy, it’s specifically designed as a place for minority entrepreneurs. But you don’t have to be a minority to participate in the co-working space,” said Ossie Kendrix, president of AACCW.

Read Full Article Here

Earlier this month, JCP Construction staff members participated in the Read With Me program. This event pairs community members and children for some quality one-on-one reading time. Our staff had a great time picking out the books and reading them to the students. And the students were able to take the books home with them to keep.  We look forward to participating in this event in the future.

To learn more about this event, you can visit the Next Door Milwaukee website.

JCP Construction is excited to join Mortenson Construction for the new Bucks Arena project. The new arena will help Downtown Milwaukee thrive and continue to change the city’s skyline.

JCP Construction is proud of the work completed at Pilgrim Rest Church and the City of Milwaukee’s Building Boom.

Building Boom

Boosts Milwaukee area construction industry

In 2008, James Phelps was faced with two choices: either hope to not get laid off from the construction firm he worked for, or start his own business.

In the middle of the Great Recession, he chose the latter.

Phelps, now 40, left his job at KBS Construction Inc., which is now part of C.D. Smith Construction Inc., and started JCP Construction LLC with his brothers, Jalin and Clifton.

The company’s first job was installing solid surface tops at Cambridge Commons residence hall at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Phelps alma mater. The job paid $80,000.

There were some months of steady work and several months of drought for the new business.

Phelps, who completed the 26-week Associates in Commercial Real Estate program run by Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2005, kept bidding on projects.

“We were able to get into Century City – Talgo was coming to town and we did a lot of the carpentry work there,” Phelps said. “It was tough. We had to get our name out there and show people we were nimble and capable.”

And then the bottom fell out of the industry.

The Great Recession hit the construction industry especially hard. The Wisconsin construction sector lost nearly 44,000 jobs between 2006 and 2012, according to the most recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America.

The Phelps brothers were among the lucky ones. From 2008 to 2015, JCP has seen annual double-digit revenue growth—with the exception of 2013.

Once a three-man firm, JCP Construction now consists of a steady team of 25 people working in the field and another five working in the office on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Milwaukee.

JCP has been named the general contractor for the 13,700-square-foot Pete’s Fruit Market grocery store that will be built on the city’s north side.

Read the rest of the article here.