Pepsi Center activity is heating up as more and more workers are added to the roster to put together what will be an unforgettable week.  Everyone is hustling inside and outside -- at about every hour of the day -- to produce the final product that will be seen worldwide.

Trucks are unloading supplies at the Pepsi Center nonstop as they continue to deliver the materials needed to create the stage, podium, and other Convention structures. In the Pepsi Center, rigging, staging, lighting, and sound equipment cover the floor while cables, chains, lighting, and trussing hang from above.

While we’re keeping a tight lid on sneak peeks at the construction of our stage and podium within the Pepsi Center, a lot of construction is taking place -- in full view -- outside of the facility. Nearing completion are the media pavilions -- the four giant tents spanning more than 150,000 square feet in the Pepsi Center parking lots. Last week, we focused on readying the tents for the media move-in. As the media start setting up their spaces at the Pepsi Center, they’ll be installing full-scale operations with all the amenities of a traditional office -- right inside the media pavilions.

This week will see our 45th media trailer arrive on the Pepsi Center premises, and media organizations are filling their various workspaces with carpet, furniture and the technology they’ll need to reach a worldwide audience in less than two weeks. In addition to the 92 media offices in the outside pavilions, networks will assemble five broadcast compounds in the Pepsi lots. Our construction team is also nearing the completion of a build out of 35 media suites. When the media arrives, we’ll be ready to greet them.

Yesterday’s photos provided a pretty good look at the Pepsi Center changes, but we wanted to share another view. Watch this video for a first-hand look at the latest renovations:

From the beginning of the planning process, the Convention Committee knew that all of the drastic Pepsi Center renovations would need to be completed in less than two months. With time constraints like that, Convention planners knew there was only one place to turn. Who better to work on renovating one of Colorado’s biggest sports venues, than the local contractors that know it best?

And that’s where St. Andrew’s Construction Services came in.  Based here in Colorado, St. Andrew’s is one of Colorado’s top minority-owned companies. As an electrical services provider, President Rusty Gonzales and his crew are one of the few contractors to have participated in the original construction of the Pepsi Center, INVESCO Field at Mile High, and Coors Field. 

With all that experience, St. Andrews was a perfect fit. And so far, Rusty Gonzales and his team feel the same way. Listen in as Rusty discusses his latest venture at the Pepsi Center:

Things are moving along quickly at the Pepsi Center. In the blink of an eye so much has changed. Walking through the arena today, some parts of the Pepsi Center were unrecognizable, taking new shape to accommodate the needs of the Democratic National Convention.

With just 21 days to go until the start of the Convention, the Pepsi Center renovation is in full swing. With various construction crews operating 20 hours a day, the Convention team is pushing it to the max as the final phase of the construction is underway.

Inside the Pepsi Center went from this:

The transformation of the Pepsi Center is well underway, and it’s time to recognize some of the people making it happen – our hardworking construction teams. Today you’ll hear from Turner Construction Superintendent Jake Coykendall, who helps oversee much of the work done by our local construction crews.

From cabling to electrical services to tent construction, Colorado-based companies are taking part in every aspect of the Pepsi Center renovation. With just 26 days to go – construction progress is right on track and the team isn’t showing any sign of letting up.

Unfortunately I don’t quite have the same technical understanding as Jake, so I’ll let you hear directly from him. Listen in -- Jake will show you the ropes:

A few stats for week two of Construction at the Pepsi Center –

15,000: Members of the media expected at the Convention
600: Construction workers handling two shifts per day
120+: Blogs that will occupy the Blogger Lounge in the former Nuggets weight room
4: Pepsi Center suites completely “white boxed” (read more to find out what that means!)
3: Cable bridges, 16 feet high, to connect cables from the arena to the media pavilions and satellite trucks
2: Weeks of construction
1: fully erected media pavilion, complete with plywood flooring, a roof, and exterior walls

…And that’s just the beginning. Touring the Pepsi Center today, it was absolutely incredible to see the dramatic transformation that has happened in just two short weeks.

As the Denver Post reports this morning, “The Pepsi Center hands over the keys to construction teams for the Democratic National Convention Committee at 8 a.m. Monday, and the on-the-ground, multimillion-dollar race to transform the arena into a convention hall by Aug. 25 begins.” Click here for the full story.

This week we were proud to announce the DNCC’s construction management team.  The Denver-based partnership of Alvarado-Turner-HOK will be in charge of transforming the Pepsi Center into the 2008 Democratic National Convention hall.  The process will include designing and constructing the staging area for the Convention inside the Pepsi Center and then restoring the building as if we never stepped foot inside.

We’re also extremely proud of the fact that this minority and woman owned team will run the construction project with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.  Linda Alvarado, President of Alvarado Construction, will be our go-to throughout the construction process.  She is no stranger to overcoming obstacles and achieving what others believe to be the heaviest of lifts – she has even made history as the first Hispanic American owner of a major league baseball franchise. Colorado’s own, of course!

The materials and methods used in building out the hall will also reflect sustainable building practices, helping to make this the greenest political convention in history.  Plus, many of the materials that are disassembled after the Convention will be donated to community organizations.

We were able to catch up with Linda Alvarado and the team leaders at the Pepsi Center to talk about what lies ahead of them here.  Also, check out these news stories about the newest members of our Convention team:

The Denver Post: Denver firm to prep Pepsi Center for DNC

The Rocky Mountain News: Convention-prep contract awarded 

The Denver Business Journal: Democrats pick Alvarado Construction team for Pepsi Center work