Berglund transformed a 1960s medical building into a cutting-edge Behavioral Health Unit in Chicago’s Uptown. This 5-story, 100,000 SF facility underwent a meticulous renovation, modernizing its MEPFP infrastructure and technology while respecting the residential area. The project encompassed a full interior overhaul, new roofing, security windows, masonry, and ADA-compliant entrances. The site also saw enhancements with updated utilities, parking, sidewalks, fencing, lighting, and landscaped areas. Working with Stengel Hill Architecture and in partnership with Acadia Healthcare, Berglund ensured this vital mental health facility met stringent standards, revitalizing community wellness services.

With the challenges of a full gut and renovation of a 60 year old plus building, we ran into some unique situations that entailed us engage additional consultants and testing agencies above and beyond Berglund’s Quality Department. We had to engage 3rd party resources due to some of the existing conditions for the exterior building envelope, roof consultant, inspections, and testing agencies to ensure that we maintained a water tight building for both the exterior envelope and the roof. Other inspections and testing agencies assisted with existing underground structures, contaminated soils throughout the site, and soil and compaction testing with the project being located close to Lake Michigan. 

At the end of the project, Acadia Healthcare provided high praise to Berglund, the design team, and all the 3rd party agencies involved on delivering a very high quality building based of the existing conditions that meets, and exceeds, their expectations while also meeting their overall project schedule.  

The project included Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) requirements. The MBE requirement was a minimum 26% and the WBE requirement was a minimum of 6% which made up about $7.5M of the overall project. At project completion we achieved approximately 27.5% MBE and 6.8% WBE which equaled about $8.5M awarded to MBE and WBE contractors and vendors. 

The project also had a minimum requirement of 50% City of Chicago workforce in which at project completion, we achieved 51.4% of City of Chicago workforce.

The project was completed in 14 months which included an expedited schedule to ensure project completion by December 15, 2023. In order to meet the project deadline we had to work overtime which included long days and weekends, including Sundays, to which we accumulated more than 100,000 man hours worked throughout the project that at times had more than 100 tradesmen and tradeswomen onsite on a daily basis. With all the man hours worked on the project we achieved 0 loss time incidents and 0 record-able injuries.

The Lawson House Redevelopment is a comprehensive 220,000 square feet rehabilitation of the former YMCA headquarters in Chicago. The existing twenty-five story Art Deco building was originally built in 1931. The rehabilitation converts 583 single room occupancy sleeping rooms into 409 studio apartments with private kitchens and baths. In addition to the residential conversion, notable building changes include transforming the former gymnasium into a fitness center, converting the pool area into a community space, building a green roof and rooftop terrace, ground floor retail, and amenities including lounges, movie room, bicycle room, and new laundry facilities.  Historic elements were preserved and restored in the basement, First, Second, and Third floors. The project was constructed in just over two years with an outstanding safety record including zero incidents or recordables.

A huge contributor to our success in quality began with the pre-planning process.  Between setting up pre-construction work plan reviews, to weekly BIM coordination meetings, the project teams worked collaboratively to ensure we built Lawson House to the highest standard of quality.  Developing work plans, prior to the work starting in the field, allowed us to find unique methods of installation to improve our schedule and reduce safety risks. For example, while reviewing the work plan for the new stair tower installation, we found that pre-erecting 3 levels of stairs on the ground, and hoisting the tower up 3 levels at a time, allowed multiple crews to work simultaneously and cut our install duration in half. This modular type method of install led our project to win an internal work planning competition award competing against over 200 projects nationwide. To further ensure top tier quality control, we hired Wiss Janey, Elstner Associates (WJE) as our enclosure consultant. WJE provided great insight and expertise during out facade enclosure pre-meetings, shop drawing review and construction install. 

Our goal going into the project was to exceed the City of Chicago minimum M/WBE requirements. The project exceeded these goals with overall totals of 31% MBE and 10% WBE trade partners on site.  Our inclusion initiatives went beyond M/W participation.  The project introduce a Pre-Apprentice program that provides support for people interested in the construction industry, but otherwise had no way of becoming involved.  We work with a group called Revolution Workshop and had 4 individuals that were hired as Pre-Apprentices as a part of Walsh’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program. These individuals were able to shadow different trades on site for 8 weeks, and develop meaningful relationships with industry professionals to expand their network.  All 4 Pre-Apprentices graduated the program and went on to become a bricklayer, laborer, carpenter, and Safety Manager here at Walsh.  Other methods of community outreach included supporting local and minority catering businesses for our safety lunches, volunteering in various community service programs (Christmas in the Wards, Clothing donations, etc), and providing progress tours to local neighbors. 

We are proud to say that we completed this two 2 year long project without a single safety incident.  With the project being located on the corner of Chicago & Dearborn in the heart of River North, pedestrian traffic was a challenge with deliveries and structural steel/facade work.  To combat this, we installed a stiff leg Derrick Crane on the 19th floor roof.  This allowed us to hoist materials in place safely.  Safety programs such as Craft Leadership in Safety (CLS) played a major role in our safety success. CLS is a group made up of one representative from each trade who participates in weekly safety walks.  This program empowered them to improve safety culture on site and identify safety hazards. The Good Catch program encouraged every tradesperson to bring quality deficiencies or potential safety hazards to our attention in exchange for prizes. Spare a Pair program was also in practice, as each member of the Walsh team carried extra safety glasses to hand out if someone did not have a pair. We also had monthly safety toolbox talk reviews, and quarterly demonstrations from vendors and safety representatives.  

With 150-200 tradespeople on site regularly, safety was a top priority for the entire project team and we achieved to complete the project with zero recordables. 

Built in the 1920s, The Belden-Stratford represented the height of residential sophistication. Its Beaux-Arts design and amenities distinguished it from other venues, making it one of the most sought-after destinations in Chicago. 

However, the passage of time and a series of modernizations resulted in The Belden-Stratford’s shift from opulent to careworn. Entering the second century, new ownership committed to investing in heritage properties that provide cultural and social value acquired The Belden-Stratford. Bulley & Andrews partnered with a team of architects, historic preservationists, artisans and trusted trade partners to carefully—yet expeditiously—restore and reposition The Belden-Stratford for generations to come. 

As construction manager, Bulley & Andrews provided preconstruction services and then executed the renovation and historic restoration. The project uncovered the building’s hidden architectural elements while updating functionality and providing premium apartment units and amenities for today’s lifestyle.  The 285,000 sq. ft. adaptive reuse project includes 297 apartment units with a mix of studios, one, two and three-bedroom units and lobby and amenity spaces including a fitness center, party room and roof deck.

The project’s schedule and phasing were impacted by the pandemic. When Bulley & Andrews started the project, the building was at 80 percent occupancy, there was a preschool operating on the ground floor and its famed French restaurant was booked nearly every night. Then, a few months into preconstruction planning and discovery, the world shut down.

While Bulley & Andrews was allowed to remain onsite throughout the stay-at-home period, the design teams and many consultants were remote. Project leaders used video conferencing and other tools to hold virtual site visits. They also took advantage of the additional time from the initial deceleration of the schedule to conduct additional research to make the most well-informed decisions.

With pandemic safety measures in place, work on the residences was postponed since COVID restrictions prevented crews from entering the apartments to verify existing conditions. The team responded in two meaningful ways. First, they replaced much of the main mechanical equipment while the building was occupied—an activity that required a great deal of planning and sequencing. Second, they went out of the natural order for projects of this type—they completed the restoration of the building’s exterior entrance, lighting and site work before renovating the residential units. This minimized disruption in the surrounding neighborhood as almost all work remained out of sight and allowed the project to progress.

While the pandemic safety measures eventually eased, pandemic-related impacts did not. Supply chain issues and erratic pricing demanded ingenuity and agility. This effect was not unexpected. The construction team shifted early to source as much material as possible from U.S. manufacturers, then pre-purchased items and stored them offsite. This strategy proved pivotal to maintaining the project’s schedule.

The team also recognized that the best way to absorb the impact of current market volatility was to dedicate staff with the expertise and the capacity to respond quickly. When the team was alerted that flooring, which had undergone a months-long approval process, would be stuck on a cargo ship, a dedicated team member was able to source, receive approval for a substitute and procure it within two weeks.

The Belden-Stratford is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of this, the project was subject to additional design guidelines and reviews. While that process can be time-consuming (getting approval through all the channels can take months), it was a source of many opportunities that are rare on today’s project sites.

When the historic preservation consultant discovered the original gilding on the lobby ceiling beneath many layers of paint, ownership decided to dedicate resources to restore the gilding to the condition it was in when the building first opened. A rare detail, this process took a team of artisans almost 1,000 hours to complete since each gold sheet was applied by hand.

When the original window frames were discovered to have been blue rather than the existing black, all new windows were ordered. Similarly, when the demolition crew uncovered original plaster molding in one of the penthouses, the plan was changed to restore it.

Additionally, the restoration brought in amenities for today’s tastes. A ballroom was converted into a fitness center. Residents get access to a wine-tasting space, a lounge with billiards, and a rooftop sundeck. Preservation Chicago has worked for years with preservation partners to generate support for a Lincoln Park West Chicago Landmark District to protect the Belden-Stratford and other historic buildings from Lincoln Park’s intense development pressure.  The community is thrilled to celebrate this restoration and protect the Belden-Stratford for decades to come. 

At its peak, The Belden-Stratford project employed over 200 tradespeople on any given day.  B&A’s team utilized a variety of tools and protocols to ensure safety was at the top of mind, and a priority by everyone onsite.  Trade partners, B&A field supervisors and safety management staff conducted numerous meetings on site to emphasize this message.

Safety Stand Down and Press Pause events as well as task safety analysis meetings were conducted onsite regularly to demonstrate our commitment. They also encouraged safety-minded behavior across all levels of the project. These efforts were essential to helping a complex and highly visible project achieve zero OSHA recordables and zero lost time incidents.