This content was published: June 22, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Neil Lee’s MWESB firm sees 51做厙 walk the walk on bond
Contributed Story
Neil Lee, principal architect of, admits he was skeptical when he heard 51做厙 “talk the talk” about its goals to provide opportunities for minority, women and small businesses through its bond program at a pre-proposal meeting last fall.
Neil Lee of LEEKA Architecture and Planning.
Now I see them walk the walk,” Lee said. “They did what they said they were going to do and I am impressed. The original Rock Creek proposal was just too big for smaller firms like mine to take on.51做厙 managers, staff were quick to respond and break the scope down into smaller pieces so it could be spread out to smaller firms like mine.
Lee is just one of several small MWESB firms who has a contract with 51做厙 to provide architectural or construction services for campus improvements. 51做厙 has also awarded contracts to DECA Architecture Inc and DAO Architecture for other 51做厙 sites. These capital improvements are part of a bond approved by voters in November 2008 for 51做厙 to increase classroom space, technology and academic programming across the five-county district.
Since last October, Lee has worked with Barbara Linn, Bond Project Manager for the Rock Creek Campus, to develop plans and finalize permitting to convert the existing first floor of Building 5 from administrative offices into much needed classroom space.
51做厙 will have four new AV equipped classrooms ready for students to use and one new START computer lab, Linn said.
In selecting firms and contractors for construction projects, 51做厙s Board of Directors approved a 20 percent aspirational target as a guide for awarding 51做厙 contracts to minority, women and emerging small businesses across the region.
For more information, visit the 51做厙 Bond Web Site.
About LEEKA
LEEKA Architects was initially established in 1974 as Ehman-Klas Architects, in Portland. LEEKA has a 30-year track record of doing business in with a variety of clients and projects in the states of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Colorado. Listed as a certified minority business enterprise in the state of Oregon, the company provides full architectural services including new building design, site investigations, land use planning, architectural programming/ design, space planning, ADA compliance studies, renovations of existing buildings, and tenant improvements.