In four decades at Turner Construction, Pete Mitnick contributed to some of the country's most beloved structures

From hotels and museums to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this Purdue alumnus has been involved in the creation of some of Ohio’s most well-known and beloved structures.

Over the course of his 43-year career at Turner Construction Company, Pete Mitnick (BSCE '77) was involved in major development projects across the United States. When he retired in 2020 as a senior project manager, Mitnick had more than 20 construction projects to his name that included academic buildings, high rise office towers, production facilities, museums, five-star hotels and conference centers, hospitals, corporate headquarters and convention centers — many of which were projects that exceeded well over $100 million in construction costs.

“When you start putting all your projects together and looking back on them, you realize just how different each project was and the new experience you gained from it that carried on to the next project,” Mitnick said. “There are certainly some people out there who are purely high rise or hospital experts, but I’m thankful I was able to get involved in a little bit of everything. I experienced so many unique challenges and new ideas because of it.”

A Michigan City, Indiana, native with siblings who also attended Purdue University, Mitnick said he knew early on he was destined to become a Boilermaker. However, what exactly he planned to major in was not nearly as clear-cut.

“I started off thinking I was going to study veterinary medicine but it just was not for me,” Mitnick said. “My brother, Jim (BSCE ’71), studied civil engineering and so I figured I would give it a try and see if it was a good fit for me.”

From there, Mitnick continued his studies and enrolled in a summer work program with Turner Construction Company — the same company where he would spend the rest of his career. Over the following decades, Mitnick worked on and led construction projects in Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.

From left to right: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland, OH), Queen City Square (Cincinnati, OH), Hilton Cleveland Downtown

“I’ve had the opportunity to play a part in a lot of major construction projects in a number of communities,” Mitnick said. “The museums and downtown revitalization projects were some that I was especially proud to be a part of.”

One of Mitnick’s most notable projects was the construction of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Known for its unique design and historic content, the museum sees more than 500,000 visitors each year and has hosted some of the most famous musical artists in the world.

However, Mitnick said, while he recognizes the significance of the project, he tries not to hold it above the others.

“Every project to me was very important — I try not to make a big deal out of it,” Mitnick said. “That said, it was definitely one of my most iconic, high-profile projects and it was incredibly challenging. It was a landmark building for the city and the responsibility and importance was something my team and I were always aware of. Thankfully, I had an incredible team and we ended up delivering something truly special.”

Mitnick said that — like with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame project — what he most fondly remembers are the people he worked with and the special friendship his teams developed.

“What they don’t often talk about when you’re studying civil engineering is how much people management is involved,” Mitnick said. “Throughout the process you’re working with so many people from all different levels and skills and you need to understand and balance that. And the most important people are the ones you manage. Some of my fondest memories are those first few planning meetings with a new team. It’s where you set the foundations and establish the expectations for everything to come together and it’s those people that are going to be there for you to see the project through to the end.”

From left to right: Cleveland Clinic InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center, Cleveland Convention Center