Denver International Airport on Tuesday announced the selection of a minority-owned business as general contractor for a first-of-its-kind training center aimed at providing under-represented and young people with careers in aviation. 

Airport authorities and Hensel Phelps, the general contractor for the Great Hall Project, said Sky Blue Builders was picked as the Minority/Women-owned Business Enterprises general contractor for the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA).

Sky Blue Builders already has experience working at DEN, including in the Great Hall Project, according to a press release.

“We are extremely honored to be selected as the general contractor for a such an iconic project that will serve our community for decades to come,” Mowa Haile, president of Sky Blue Builders, said in the press release. “DEN has been instrumental in Sky Blue’s success over the last ten years and we are proud to be part of CEEA, which will continue to provide training opportunities for other MWBE firms to grow and succeed at DEN.”

This announcement comes alongside the release of the conceptual renderings for the CEEA, according to the press release.

As part of the Great Hall project, CEEA will be 66,000 square feet on Level 4 of the Hotel and Transit Center, which offers access to the commuter rail to downtown Denver. The central part of the CEEA will be the Hall of Equity, a space that can accommodate 300 people. Adjacent lecture halls and training rooms will also be able to support 200 to 300 people. A lobby space will allow for a small cafe and an environment for networking or small meetings.

Studio Completiva, a minority-owned firm awarded the contract through Stantec, will design CEEA. Construction will begin late next year, authorities said.

“DEN is the biggest economic engine for Colorado, and that comes with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to help fuel the creation of business and career opportunities for those in our community,” Mayor Michael B. Hancock said in a news release. “CEEA is a groundbreaking concept that will be instrumental in developing a skilled workforce of the future that will allow our airport to operate effectively and efficiently during its continued growth.”

While the facility is not yet in the building process, the airport is already running some of the CEEA programming. They include the Business Development Training Academy, which helps small businesses learn how to grow and succeed in the airport; Career Pathways, a program that supports those interested in exploring careers in aviation; and, the Research and Innovation Lab, which will combine DEN with local universities to conduct aviation research.

“CEEA will be the industry model for developing aviation talent. We are committed to providing under-represented people and businesses opportunities to enter the aviation industry and grow into the leaders of the future,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said in the press release. “Through CEEA and our robust programming, we will provide current and future employees the training and tools they need to have a successful career in aviation while helping our small and minority-owned businesses partners grow and thrive.”