Block 1 features a 300,000-sq-ft, 14-story office building, while Block 2 involves the adaptive reuse of a 1900s-era concrete and masonry building covering 160,000 sq ft. Blocks 3 and 4 comprise 567,300 sq ft of residential space, including 542 units, a 2,100-car parking garage and 70,000 sq ft of retail space.

These blocks are interconnected with exterior spaces that enhance walkability and community engagement.

Photo by Aerial Innovations

The proforma goals of the independent projects needed to be met, the design aspirations maximized and the combined budget maintained, according to JE Dunn’s Best Projects contest entry. Adding complexity was procurement through the pandemic and post-pandemic escalation and procurement challenges. Despite those challenges, the contractor was able to keep overall escalation to just 1.5%.

Throughout construction, JE Dunn managed diverse workloads and multiple project types simultaneously, including logistics of three teams and four tower cranes through only two access points while being bound by a river on one side and a public greenway on the other.

In addition to maintaining the consistent vision and quality standards established by the project owner and the design team, JE Dunn completed the housing units ahead of schedule, enabling Neuhoff to start pre-leasing these units three months ahead of schedule. Additionally, early completion of the parking garage beneath the housing units offered expedited office tenant parking, adding to the early completion and pre-leasing benefits.

A focus on historic preservation required that key elements of the original site be preserved, including the reuse of brick from two buildings atop the parking structure, thereby fostering a seamless connection between the development’s various components. That spirit also led to the adaptive reuse of the slaughterhouse building.

Photo by Aerial Innovations

The project team incorporated sustainability efforts into the construction process with precut and prefabricated materials and elements. These included concrete forms, blocking, plumbing and electrical systems and framing and ceiling elements. The approach resulted in reduced scrap and waste quantities.

With the contractors and design firms emphasizing sustainability, the project earned LEED Gold for Block 1, while Block 2 earned LEED Silver.

JE Dunn’s performance earned kudos from project owner New Deal Properties, which noted that the contractor “dealt proactively with countless design and construction challenges, aiding ownership to meet quality parameters, schedule demands and budget constraints despite pandemic and post-pandemic market conditions.”