Idaho Business Review announces 2022 Top Projects, recognizes Specialty Contractor of the Year 

It was a night of shining gold, familiar laughter and enthusiastic cheers as members of the construction industry — from architects and contractors to builders and project owners — gathered to celebrate impactful projects completed over the past year.

Idaho Business Review hosted its 18th annual Top Projects event featuring stories of successes, innovations and challenges for the state’s top Top Projects in the categories of infrastructure/utility, private, public, renovation and transportation. 

Sheree Willhite, senior engineer at Idaho Power and one of this year’s project judges, shared some insights into the evaluation process, and provided some tips for those considering submitting projects for consideration next year. Nominations for 2023 are now open.  

“Every project that was nominated tonight has (its) own story,” she said before the guests seated at the Boise Centre. “And as a judge, that’s what I’m asking you to do: Tell me that story. Tell us, ‘Did you use a specialized approach?’ ‘Did you do something different?’” 

“Buildings are a long-term investment,” she continued. “They’re an asset. As a judge…I’m looking for the project submittals that come to life.” 

This year’s Top Projects of 2022 are: 

Infrastructure/Utility

3rd Place — Multipurpose Range Complex Repair 

2nd Place — Mountain Home Downtown Improvements Project 

1st Place — Meridian WRRF Liquid Stream Capacity Expansion Project 

Private

3rd Place — Warfield Distillery & Brewery 

2nd Place — Hearth on Broad 

1st Place — MKA Office Building at Trackside 

Public

3rd Place — Cherie Buckner-Webb Park 2nd nomination 

2nd Place — Moscow Police Services Facility 

1st Place — City of Ketchum Fire Station #1 

Renovation

3rd Place — CTC Telecom 

2nd Place — Fred Meyer 

1st Place — Lombard Conrad Architects Office 

Transportation

3rd Place — US-95 Pend Oreille Long Bridge 

2nd Place — ITD SH-44 & Eagle Road Intersection 

1st Place — US-20, I-15 Interim Ramp Modifications 

And this year’s winning Top Project: The historic Boise church renovation for Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts. 

“This is a project that is one of those that ‘you don’t judge a book by its cover’…it was a run-down church that nobody cared about,” described Brian Hetmer, with CM Company. “It’s ended up winning more awards than any project we’ve had in a long time…It was a win-win-win for a few people, one of them being the owner of the project and his perseverance. He worked on (it) for 10+years…He had a vision and he worked and overcame a lot to make that happen.”

Returning for its third year was the Specialty Contractor of the Year recognition, given to a contracting company nominated and praised by its peers and industry stakeholders. 

Gary Tackett with the Idaho Association of General Contractors presented the award to Slattery Masonry Co. 

“With Slattery Masonry’s 40 years of experience in the commercial masonry industry, they’re able to assist customers in building and developing their projects from the ground up, leading to overall project success,” Tackett described. “The Slattery Masonry Company’s safety policies are the number-one priority before any workday begins or ends. Their most valuable asset is their employees. Their continued strong partnership with the building community, their customer relationships along with proven quality and timely project completion make Slattery Masonry Company a solid choice for builders.” 

More information about each nominated project and the Specialty Contractor of the Year can be found in Idaho Business Review’s Top Projects magazine, published in print and online on Oct. 28. 

“The 34 projects represented this year spanned across the state, as north as Sandpoint and as east as Idaho Falls,” said Idaho Business Review Publisher Cindy Suffa. “It’s wonderful to see this and as Idaho continues to grow, I anticipate the number of projects submitted for next year will increase as well.”

Special to the Oct. 27 event was the recognition of the People’s Choice Award, garnered through online votes from those in industry. This year, the people chose Star’s Water & Sewer District Water System Expansion. 

“All of the nominated projects are deserving of awards,” Willhite said. “Recognizing your hard work and all the accomplishments that you’ve made to make this project come to fruition, and I’m honored to be a Top Projects awards judge.”