The City of Knoxville's new Transit Center has received the top award for engineering from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee. CDM Smith, lead engineers on the project, accepted the Grand Iris Award at the annual ACEC awards banquet in Franklin last week.

In recognizing the John J. Duncan Jr. Knoxville Station Transit Center, the judges said, "This is the epitome of the new generation of development." The Transit Center, which opened in August 2010, is the first Silver LEED-certified government building in Knoxville. (LEED is a rating system for sustainable construction and development, based on factors including site selection, water savings and energy efficiency. Silver is the second-highest certification.)

"CDM Smith is very pleased to have been involved in the development of the Knoxville Station Transit Center," said CDM Smith Vice President Bob Bowers. "The Grand Iris Award of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee highlights the project's engineering excellence, although it is certainly a reflection of the quality of the total project and the teamwork involved in its development."

Other members of the team included Knoxville architecture firms McCarty Holsaple McCarty and Bullock Smith & Partners. The Transit Center on Church Avenue in downtown Knoxville serves as a bus transfer hub for Knoxville Area Transit. It was partly funded with a $23 million federal appropriation secured by Congressman John J. Duncan. Construction was managed by the Public Building Authority.

Mayor Madeline Rogero said, "I would like to congratulate CDM Smith and their partners on this project for this deserved recognition. The Transit Center is a great demonstration that a public building can be attractive, functional and accessible while embracing best practices in sustainable development."