As part of a program from the Chicago Public Building Commission, Cordos mobilized in May of 2020 at Taft Freshman Academy to complete various exterior components of the new school slated to open in September. The project included mass grading, new site utilities, installation of a state-of-the-art running track, and a new football field. The main challenges associated with the site were that much of the soil was contaminated and had to be exported and replaced with new fill, and that the adjacent salt dome’s salt stock had been migrating into the soil creating difficult planting conditions.

After successfully completing the running track, football field, and adjacent spaces in time for school to start, Cordos began a secondary project, creating a walking path for students to get to an adjacent athletics field. Cordos assisted the PBC in quickly generating a constructable design and implementing it in only two months from receiving a contract. This helped to solidify Cordos’ place as a preferred vendor with the PBC and CPS.