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Larry Huggins

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Huggins in 2012

Larry Huggins (born c. February 1950)[1][2] is the president and chief executive officer of Riteway-Huggins Construction Services (formerly Riteway Construction Services Inc.)[3] He is the former board chairman of the Chicago-area commuter rail service Metra.

Career

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Huggins recovered from bankruptcy in the 1970s via affirmative action for Chicago contractors.[4] He is also and alumnus and the former principal of Englewood Technical Prep Academy.[5][6] Huggins is among the contractors who built AT&T Corporate Center (now known as Franklin Center).[7] He served as vice president of Black Contractors United in the mid-1990s.[8][9] Huggins is the founder of the annual Chicago Football Classic college football game played at Soldier Field between two historically black colleges and universities.[10] He was appointed to the board of directors of Metra by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1997 and became acting chairman in April 2011.[11] The board was supposed to select a permanent chairman from within its ranks by July 2011, but Huggins felt the chairmanship was a Republican position and withdrew himself from consideration.[12] Huggins served as acting chairman until November 2, 2012 when he was replaced by Brad O'Halloran.[13] Huggins resigned from the board in August 2013 days after O'Halloran resigned.[14] Huggins' resignation came after conversations with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel about a patronage scandal.[15]

His company has been involved in construction at O'Hare International Airport and McCormick Place,[16] including the $115 million no-bid contract to manage the airport's people-mover system.[17] Riteway Construction Services Inc. was the general contractor for Cook County Hospital.[1] His company's role with the County Hospital was controversial when Riteway missed filing its 1997 corporate annual report, leading the Illinois Secretary of State to dissolve the company on January 2, 1998 just prior to the spring 1998 groundbreaking for the $551 million, 464-bed hospital that was four years in the making.[18]

Personal

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Huggins spent part of his youth in Atlanta and part of it in the Englewood community area of Chicago.[19][20] His sister, Phyllis, died in 1992.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b Knowles, Francine (February 12, 2001). "Riteway Construction". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 56.
  2. ^ Kupcinet, Irv (February 6, 2000). "Kup's Column". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 12.
  3. ^ Wronski, Richard (May 4, 2012). "Metra delays rail contract as congressmen blast minority role: They demand agency rebid $141 million project". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  4. ^ Chappell, Kevin (August 1995). "What they don't tell you about affirmative action". Ebony. Vol. 50, no. 10. p. 46.
  5. ^ Ihejirika, Maudlyne (October 28, 2005). "Kids thrill to Twista as principal for a day: Choir Academy 'just blew me away,' rap star says". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 14.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Fred (March 13, 2008). "White Sox, Cubs to unveil new statues". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  7. ^ Bergen, Kathy (February 20, 2012). "MacArthur Foundation exec built her career from a mix of public, private experience and dashes of chance, risk". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  8. ^ Franklin, Stephen (May 23, 1996). "2 Chicago Companies To Oversee United Center Convention Project". Chicago Tribune.
  9. ^ "Chicago Clean Energy Project Will Have Significant Economic Impact on Illinois". The New York Times. July 24, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  10. ^ Jackson, Cheryl V. (August 31, 2006). "Football classic's field of dreams". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 49.
  11. ^ Wronski, Richard (January 3, 2012). "Who's who on Metra board: 11 members who OK'd fare hike are political appointees". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  12. ^ Wronski, Richard (May 13, 2011). "Soaring fuel costs vex Metra officials: Diesel prices threaten to cause $19 million overrun". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  13. ^ Wronski, Richard (November 2, 2012). "Orland Park trustee named new Metra chairman". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  14. ^ Wronski, Richard, Michelle Manchir and Stacy St. Clair (August 3, 2013). "Metra deals with leadership vacuum". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 17, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Spielman, Fran (August 3, 2013). "Emanuel pushes Larry Huggins off Metra Board". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  16. ^ Spielman, Fran (December 15, 1994). "Daley Slams Demonstrators". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 3.
  17. ^ Spielman, Fran (January 6, 2012). "Contractor with Daley ties gets O'Hare deal". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 8.
  18. ^ Brown, Mark (February 10, 1998). "County Hospital bids OKd - 2 contractors will share pact for $301 million". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 3.
  19. ^ Rhodes, Dawn (January 16, 2012). "Who doesn't have to work on MLK Day?: Survey: About 3 in 10 employers give day off". Chicago Tribune.
  20. ^ Wronski, Richard (May 12, 2012). "Lawmakers urge Metra to reject bridge contract". McClatchy - Tribune Business News.
  21. ^ Kupcinet, Irv (July 31, 1992). "Kup's Column". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 48.
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