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Dive brief:
- Gilbane Building Co. has completed a $128 million project in New York City $10 million under budget and two years ahead of schedule, according to a Monday announcement from the city.
- Gilbane completed the Brownsville Multi-Service Centera four-story, 60,000-square-foot building that will serve several Brooklyn community organizations, according to the announcement. The contractor worked with architectural firm Marvel as part of a design-build partnership.
- Additionally, the structure was designed to meet New York City’s climate resilience standards, according to the announcement. The all-electric building includes solar panels on three floors and is expected to meet or exceed LEED Gold certification.
Diving knowledge:
In total, the structure features 10 office spaces, three combinable conference rooms, a commercial kitchen, a 1,600-square-foot outdoor community garden, green roofs and public artwork, according to the announcement.
The design-build delivery method meant Gilbane, based in Providence, Rhode Island, collaborated with New York-based Marvel and other team members previously to match key decisions with the construction schedule, Raquel Diaz, vice president and business leader for Gilbane in New York City, told Construction Dive via email.
“The Brownsville Multi-Service Center shows the value that design-build can bring to complex public projects,” Diaz said.
Jade Bailey, the deputy commissioner for alternative delivery for the city’s Department of Design and Construction, told Construction Dive that because the project featured a two-step procurement as part of that design-build process, the team was able to get Gilbane up to speed and the front-loading work that typically comes after an award.
In this case, Gilbane oversaw the demolition of the previous structure while the team worked on the design of the new building. That saved the team time and money, Bailey said.
“It’s another feather in the cap for design and construction,” Bailey said.
The all-electric construction also represents a culmination the city’s clean building efforts. These include a massive wooden study and Executive Order 23a 2022 order signed by former Mayor Eric Adams that directs city construction agencies to use clean and sustainable construction practices.
