Rich, W.T., Co., Inc.

Owner:

City of Boston Public Facilities Department, Boston, MA

Architect:

Schwartz / Silver Architects, Boston, MA

Scope Of Work

To provide a sense of community in this urban neighborhood, the City of Boston decided to renovate the Jeremiah E. Burke High School and add a new 80,000 square foot, four-story addition that provided Dorchester with an updated school and a combined high school / public library. The new wing also houses a community center, cafeteria, and gymnasium. W.T. Rich served as the General Contractor for this project.

HIGHLIGHTS

The addition is a two-story structure with a glass façade. The public library is on the first floor and the high school library is on the second level.  

The second story also holds a competition-size school gymnasium.

A community center and a new 5,000 SF cafeteria and full-service kitchen were also added. 

The renovation of the existing 200,000 SF high school building included upgrades to the building systems, as well as renovations to the auditorium, common areas, and classrooms.

PROJECT INFORMATION

Location: Dorchester, MA
Completion: November 2008
Contract Value: $37 million

Size: Renovation - 200,000 SF    Addition - 80,000 SF 
Type: Renovation / Addition
Owner: City of Boston Public Facilities Department, Boston, MA
Designer: Schwartz / Silver Architects, Boston, MA

Delivery Method: CM-at-Risk (M.G.L. Chapter 149A)

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CHALLENGES & SOLUTIONS

The project was challenged by a restrictive laydown area due to the densely populated urban location. W.T. Rich developed a detailed site logistics plan that included meticulously planned materials and equipment delivery in order to maximize the use of confined site

The owner’s goal was for completion to occur before the beginning of the next school year, therefore, W.T. Rich performed within a very aggressive schedule that offered no possibility for an extension. Through proactive and detailed coordination with all stakeholders,  our team was able to strategically phase and adjust the master schedule to resolve any hurdles that presented themselves during construction

 

 

RESULTS

Despite the challenges associated with this project, W.T. Rich successfully finished the project in time for students to return for the new school year.  All other milestones were met or exceeded and the project was delivered to the full satisfaction of the client. The combined Burke School / Library / Community Center has the distinction of being the first of its kind in the nation.