Holland Construction Begins Work on Eckert’s New Country Store and Expanded Restaurant
BELLEVILLE, ILL. – Holland Construction Services, Inc. is breaking ground on a major expansion of Eckert’s Country Store and Restaurant in Belleville, nearly 100 years after Alvin O. Eckert opened his first roadside produce stand.
The $5 million project is scheduled for completion in 2010, just in time to celebrate Eckert Inc.’s official centennial anniversary year. It will include a new Eckert’s Country Store, an expansion of the Eckert’s Country Restaurant, additional parking and a new outdoor plaza space, designed for seasonal gatherings and welcoming visitors to the Eckert’s experience.
“Holland Construction came highly recommended from everyone I contacted,” said Chris Eckert, president of Eckert’s, Inc. “The project manager helped us reduce costs at the time of design and streamline the building process now that we are under construction. The superintendent is a pleasure to work with and solves problems quickly in a very difficult and time-restricted building project.
“Holland’s experience and professionalism gave us the confidence to move forward with this project and know that it will be completed on time and on budget,” he added.
The 22,000-square-foot store will be housed in a pre-fabricated metal building with a gambrel roof, and include expanded areas for local produce, locally raised beef and pork in a fresh meat shop, specialty foods, an extended bakery and a 1,200-square-foot cooking and workshop classroom. The Country Store is expected to open to the public in July when construction will then begin on the renovation and expansion of the existing Eckert’s Country Restaurant. The expanded 14,000-square-foot restaurant, scheduled for completion in September, will double its current capacity, and include new restrooms, a comfortable waiting room, and the added feature of curb-side meal pick-up service.
“We are appreciative of the community’s support as we move forward in building on the long established Eckert’s tradition of creating unique family experiences and lasting memories for the next 100 years,” Eckert said. “Through our expanded presence in Belleville we hope to maintain the identity of Eckert’s that generations of customers have created family memories with, while expanding our year-round programs and offerings as a specialty grocer of quality, locally-grown products.”
Now led by the sixth and seventh generations of the Eckert family, Eckert’s Country Store and Farms is the largest family-owned and operated “pick-your-own” orchard in the United States. The Eckert family owns and operates farming, entertainment and retail entities in Belleville, Grafton and Millstadt in Southwestern Illinois. For a century, Eckert’s has served the bi-state region as a local source for agricultural products including pick-your-own strawberries, blackberries, peaches, apples and pumpkins, and Christmas trees during the growing season. Eckert’s also offers specialty foods, meats, wine and cheese selections, as well as a range of classes, including cooking and wine classes for adults, and children’s activities for families to enjoy throughout the year.
The Lawrence Group is the architectural firm for the expansion project, and is one of the largest international building design, planning and project delivery firms in St. Louis with 200 employees in the United States and China. The firm’s expertise includes architecture, interior design, urban planning, landscape architecture, real estate development, graphic design and construction management. It was named in the “Top 100 Giants” by “Interior Design Magazine.” For more information on The Lawrence Group, visit www.thelawrencegroup.com.
Holland Construction Services is a full-service contracting and construction management firm based in Swansea, Ill., guided by the principle of delivering total customer satisfaction. Now in its 24th year, the company has been providing quality construction throughout Missouri and Illinois since 1986, when it was founded by Bruce Holland.
HCS offers design/build, general contracting and construction management services to commercial, retail, healthcare, senior living, light industrial, recreational/athletic and educational clients. The firm is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and provides guidance in certification in Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED). In 2006, The St. Louis Business Journal ranked the firm as one of the top 15 contractors in the St. Louis area.
HOME | PROFILE | PROJECTS | SAFETY | EMPLOYMENT | NEWS | CONTACT
Copyright © 2009 Holland Construction
Services. All rights reserved.
Web design by Visual
Lure St. Louis.