Project Type: Assisted & Independent Living Community with Memory Care
Project Location: Deer Park, Illilois
Owner: Formation-Shelbourne Senior Living Services
Architect: Moseley Architects
Completion Date: March 2015
Total Square Footage: 197,500
Total Contract Value: $33.6 million
Amenities
- Parking Garage
- Green Roof (Amenity Deck)
- Indoor Pool
- Fitness Center
- Restaurant, Bistro
- Wine Bar
- Theater
- Full Service Salon
- Clubroom Bar
Challenges & Solutions
The Challenges
- The Subcontractor environment in Chicago was a significant challenge both from a cost and difficult attitude. In addition to the high cost of construction in Chicago was pushing the project costs up significantly due to local union wage rates and Chicago area pricing in general.
- Significant soils issues were found on site which initially was being required to be removed and replaced with new engineered fill that was over a half million dollar problem.
- The spring of 2014 brought record rainfall to the Chicago area which resulted in double the rain days anticipated during the initial foundation work.
- The size and scope of the building presented its own challenges. The 200,000 square foot building has multiple types of construction with distinct regulations and codes that had to be followed. The building is divided into three areas; Memory Care and Assisted Living, Common Areas, and Independent Living. The Memory Care and Assisted Living section is a 3 story cold-formed metal framed wing with specific regulations that had to be adhered to ensure the facility was able to operate. The Independent Living section is a 4 story wood framed wing that overlooks the Green Roof/Terrace area and partially beared on a concrete parking garage pedestal. Lastly, the Common Area section included a structural steel superstructure.
The Douglas Company Solutions
- TDC was able to pull from our subcontracting and vendor resources in other areas to travel to the Chicago site and save significant funds to make the project feasible; we built the project in a mixed shop environment to also assist in bringing the project down in the budget.
- We obtained some alternative soils recommendations and worked with the owner to retest areas of the site to minimize the amount of undercutting and to handle other areas with a new approach and new foundation detailing which reduced this problem to approximately a $200,000 cost.
- TDC employed pump trucks and dewatering crews to clean up the jobsite and continue forward progress on the project. TDC and our subcontractors worked together to obtain additional manpower and scheduled extended work hours and weekend work to complete the foundation work and building pad.
- Having a senior living Douglas Company project team was a must for the successful completion of the building. The material and means/methods coordination and code compliance differences made the building a challenge that was overcome by The Douglas Company’s senior living expertise and proactive attention to detail.