Rehabilitating a Community Fixture
Bryant Manor has provided a home to residents of Central City for over fifty years. In 2016 Bryant Manor’s owner, the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Housing Association, began efforts to rehabilitate the aging property.
Meticulous Planning for a Bold Vision
The vision for the new development was ambitious: grow the existing 58 units into 250 units, in a new complex that would include first-time amenities like a ground-floor preschool, underground parking, a central courtyard, and a playground.
It quickly became apparent that the key to project success would be a well-planned preconstruction effort. Bryant Manor is a nonprofit-driven venture with funding an ongoing concern. With resources for future repairs uncertain, it was important to source durable, high-quality building materials and products. And in a construction market where price fluctuations were driving up costs for everything from materials to labor, it was imperative that we make smart financial commitments, and early.
We worked hand-in-hand with FAME for 2.5 years’ worth of preconstruction. In this phase, we developed the construction plan, coordinating the new structure to would marry up the with existing foundation elements. We expedited our procurements, so we could buy the materials we wanted before their prices spiked. And perhaps most importantly, we selected our subcontractors at fixed rates, many of whom were Women-owned or Minority-owned Business Enterprises (WBME).