LANSING—December 13, 2011—A local engineering firm is part of a consortium of Michigan companies in talks with the Iraqi government to build a new city outside Baghdad.
C2AE, an architectural, engineering and planning design firm with headquarters in Lansing, is part of the MICH Development consortium.
The group announced Tuesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for $5.5 billion worth of development in Iraq.
The consortium is hoping to win a contract for a new city outside Baghdad, including 100,000 units of housing and the complete range of amenities like commercial, entertainment, public and other services.
It's estimated the city would hold about half a million residents.
Bill Kimble, President and CEO of C2AE, said if the group is awarded a contract, he would likely have to hire more employees.
C2AE currently employs 115 people, 90 of whom are graduates of Michigan universities and colleges.
The firm would be responsible for building infrastructure for the proposed housing developments outside Baghdad, which would include waste water collection and treatment as well as delivering drinking water to residents of the new city.
C2AE has worked extensively in the city of Lansing, including several aspects of the city's Combined Sewer Overflow projects and the design and construction of Lansing Fire Station #4.
It's that experience, gained by working in 55 communities across the state, that Kimble said makes his firm an asset to the team.
While the size of the project is unlike anything C2AE has undertaken, Kimble said size doesn't matter when it comes to municipal engineering.
"Everything is scalable," he said.
Kimble said he realizes that his firm will have some learning to do on the ground, such as how things are done in a culture much different from the United States, but added that the basic needs in communities in Michigan and Iraq are quite similar.
"People in Iraq still drink water. They flush toilets, they shower," he said.
Fundamentally, his firm understands how communities operate, and that makes them well-suited to the work. The company is already working globally, with projects in India and China.
"We want to perform this work using Michigan knowledge and Michigan experience," Kimble said.
If all goes according to plan, the consortium could break ground on the new city in one year.
About C2AE
C2AE — celebrating 45 years in business — is a very diverse, full-service firm that provides civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering, architectural design, surveying, landscape architecture, interior design, construction administration, and other professional design services. C2AE serves local, state & federal governmental agencies, as well as education & health care institutions, and others within the private sector. For more information, visit www.c2ae.com or call 866.454.3923 to see the difference in C2AE – “It’s The People!"
Contact:
Marcie McCann
Marketing Manager
C2AE
517.371.1200