Apparently, outsiders do as well.

University contractors recently won two prestigious local awards for work completed on the Hilltop Campus.

On Nov. 3, Associated General Contractors announced the best St. Louis-area construction projects. Winners of the eighth annual Construction Keystone Awards were chosen from 24 finalists in eight categories. In all, 52 projects were entered.

Winners with University ties included Helmkamp Construction Co. in the category of "general contractor or construction manager, building construction project under $5 million," for the 2004 presidential debate held here.

And winning in the "interior build-out" category was McCarthy Building Cos. for the Olin Library renovation.

The debate project involved building media platforms inside the Athletic Complex, installing a wheelchair-accessible restroom and other tasks; and then restoring the complex to its original condition afterward, all under a tight deadline.

Judges said Helmkamp "undertook a large-scale project that had to be completed in a difficult two-week time frame under less than ideal construction conditions."

"The Department of Athletics is pleased to see Helmkamp Construction Co. receive this prestigious award," said T.J. Shelton, assistant athletic director for facilities and special events. "The success of the debate could not have happened without the efforts of several internal and external constituents. Helmkamp played a major role in the venue setup and the restoration of spaces back to its original condition."

The Olin Library project included renovating existing spaces, reading rooms, office spaces, special collections and adding a cyber café.

Judges said, "Challenges included tackling a tough schedule, managing the logistics of moving every department as well as building around the University's most-treasured collections — while keeping the library open and operational."

"We are thrilled about this award," said Shirley K. Baker, dean of libraries and vice chancellor for information technologies.

"The final product, as judged by our users, has been worth all the effort. It was truly an accomplishment that the contractors and the library staff could work together so well to keep all library services and collections accessible, despite incredible odds.

"Special recognition goes to Virginia Toliver and Josh Holden, the two who appropriately accepted the award for the University and McCarthy. Virginia, representing the libraries and Josh, representing McCarthy, were the dynamic duo that kept the complicated process on track. They worked on this project 24/7 for more than three years."