Archives

FedEx Ground Kansas City Distribution Hub

BL provided architecture, structural, MEP, and site/civil engineering services for a 290,000 square foot expansion of the FedEx Ground distribution hub in Kansas City, Missouri.

In addition to the main hub the project scope included design for a new gateway building, truck wash, two gatehouses, vehicle maintenance garage building, and a fuel island. Permits were obtained for the project from Kansas City Department of Planning and Building Department and the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Somerville Mixed-Use Storage Facility

SSG Development and Construction LLC is a real estate investment and property development company based in Brookline, Massachusetts that develops, builds, and owns state-of-the-art, multi-story, climate-controlled, self-storage facilities throughout the eastern United States.  A significant challenge was site plan approval for a storage structure in the neighborhood.  BL Companies designs each facility to be unique to the context of the surrounding community, which significantly assists the entitlement permitting process.  The Somerville building is a seven story steel framed structure with masonry and metal wall panels.  BL Companies provided comprehensive design services with its in-house team from due diligence through construction administration.

State Veteran’s Memorial

BL Companies worked with the non-profit group, Connecticut State Veterans Memorial, Inc., to design a memorial to honor Connecticut Veterans who have served their country since the Revolutionary War. The design of the memorial features a granite colonnade structure consisting of five columns representing each branch of military service as the memorial’s main focal point.  A semi-circular granite Honor wall with “HONORING THOSE WHO SERVED” engraving acts as the memorial’s framing element.  The memorial highlights various conflicts with engraved granite markers throughout the plaza.   Other amenities include granite pavers, benches, specialty lighting, and landscaping.

Connecticut Science Center

As part of our On-Call contract with Connecticut DOT, BL Companies was hired to re-design an extensive planting plan for the existing main level plaza. The original planting plans (designed by others) resulted in bids which came in well over the construction budget. Unrelated to the high bids but compounding the problem was a leaking roof membrane with in the plaza which will needed to be repaired prior to the installation of plant material. Due to these issues, the landscaping had never been installed when the building was constructed. BL worked with the Science Center and the Office of Policy and Management to provide value engineering and landscape architecture for the re-design. Our designs have taken into account the logistical complexities of delivering and installing plant material up to the plaza level in order to procure reasonable bid prices.

Three design options were prepared for bidding to ensure the project fell within the construction budget. A combination of small flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and green roof trays make up the planting plan options. Light weight soil is specified for the planting areas and our designs follow the LEED standards that were achieved for the building such as the elimination of an irrigation system and the selection of native and adaptive plants.

Scope of Work:
Site Inventory & Analysis
Conceptual & Schematic Designs
Design Development Drawings
Contract & Construction Documents
Construction Administration

Veterans’ Cemetery Expansion & Improvements

BL Companies, working with the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services, Division of Construction Services and the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs, has designed an expansion and renovation project for the State of Connecticut Veterans’ Cemetery in Middletown, CT. The Cemetery Expansion and Improvements Project improved the internal road system and expand the parking area in order to allow the cemetery to comfortably handle the burial needs of its veterans for decades to come.

The scope of the project included correcting pavement and storm drainage issues as well as providing approximately 3,200 lf of new driveways to provide better visitor and maintenance access to the cemetery plots. Building code and accessibility issues were corrected at the administration building to improve accessibility, add restrooms and provide an information and burial plot location kiosk for use by visitors.

Finally, the project included the design and construction administration of a 3,000 niche columbarium expansion to house the urns of our fallen veterans. The design of this important site element includes a visitor parking area, rain garden, handicapped accessible routes and memorial plaza walk as well as a vegetated earthen berm to buffer the site from the residential area to the west.

FedEx Ground Maspeth NY Distribution Facility

BL Companies was commissioned to perform comprehensive design services for a proposed 120,000 SF FedEx Ground distribution facility in the Borough of Queens New York. The existing site currently has a 65,000 square foot facility with associated parking that is bounded by Maspeth Creek and Newtown Creek. Both waterways have been designated EPA superfund sites. The work will require BL Companies to perform a due diligence evaluation and report, design and permitting, preparation of construction documents and construction administration. Entitlement permitting within the Borough of Queens includes the  NYC Department of Building ,NYC Department of Transportation,  NYC Best Squad, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the  Environmental Protection Agency.

Connecticut Service Plazas

BL Companies worked with Project Service LLC to provide design and construction administration services during the renovation and redevelopment of Connecticut’s twenty-three Highway Service Plazas. The Service Plazas are located along Interstate I-95; Interstate I-395; and Route 15 (Merritt Parkway) throughout Connecticut.

The Service Plazas provide retail gasoline sales, restaurant service (at those on Interstate I-95), and food and beverage retail sales. The renovations will provide additional restaurant service, food and beverage sales, and other retail and tourism services. Gasoline sales will continue at all twenty-three Service Plazas.

BL Companies’ designs bring new life to the service plazas, upgrade site access and amenities, and improve exterior and interior building appearance and facilities. The project also includes the replacement of all fueling facilities.

Throughout this process, BL Companies is working closely with the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection.

Silas Deane Highway Streetscape

BL Companies provided streetscape planning, design and engineering services for a portion of the Silas Deane Highway (Route 99) in Rocky Hill, Connecticut with funding administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.  The project runs for an approximate length of 4,000’, from Dividend Street to Parsonage Street. This project, now in Phase 3, has started to create a new identity and gateway into the existing Town center and has provided greater connectivity from the retail corridor by converting a section of roadway into a linear park leading to the Town Hall.  Past phases included the replacement of the traffic signal at Route 160, street trees, ornamental lighting, brick pavers and a variety of other aesthetic amenities to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and sense of place. The design covers three construction phases of the multi-phase streetscape enhancement program for the Silas Deane Highway.

Phase I

BL Companies provided multi-phase streetscape planning, design and engineering services for the Rocky Hill Town Center in the vicinity of the intersection of the Silas Deane Highway (Route 99) and Glastonbury Avenue (Route 160). The project included streetscape and roadway improvements for the purposes of transforming the Town Center into a more inviting and attractive destination. The intersection improvements included a new traffic signal at the intersection of Route 99 and Route 160 and the removal of one leg (Church Street) of the intersection as well as improvements at the intersection of Church Street and Center Street. This project has created a new identity and gateway into the existing Town Center and provided pedestrian friendly connection from the retail corridor by converting a section of Church Street into a pocket park leading to the municipal center.  Other elements of the project included: new sidewalks, pedestrian ramps, imprinted cross-walks and brick pavers, on-street and off-street parking, street trees and other landscaping, ornamental lighting and park benches, and a variety of other aesthetic amenities to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and sense of place.

Phase II

BL Companies provided streetscape planning, design and engineering services for the intersection of the Silas Deane Highway (Route 99) and Elm Street (Route 160) in Rocky Hill, Connecticut with funding administered by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.  The project encompasses the intersection of Silas Deane Highway and Elm Street.  This project creates the gateway node into the existing Town Center and provides greater connectivity within the corridor. The current phase includes implementation of decorative crosswalks, street trees, plantings, and a variety of other aesthetic amenities to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and sense of place.

Phase III

BL Companies provided streetscape, sidewalk, drainage, and illumination planning, design and engineering services along approximately 3,000 LF of the Silas Deane Highway (Route 99) between Elm Street (Route 160) and Parsonage Street in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. The Transportation Alternatives (State) funding source was administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation with Town oversight.  The purpose of the project was to create a pedestrian oriented and visually enhanced gateway to the Town’s municipal center. This project represented the realization of the third phase of the Town’s overall masterplan for the Silas Deane Highway corridor. This third phase included implementation of decorative crosswalks, reconstruction of commercial driveway entrances, street trees, plantings, decorative pedestrian scale lighting, bus shelters, and benches to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and sense of place.  The design was reviewed at milestone submissions by both Town and State reviewing units.

 

 

 

Richmond Hill Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation

BL Companies provided design and construction inspection services for the rehabilitation of the Richmond Hill Avenue Bridge which spans 102-feet over the Rippowam River. The design consisted of a full superstructure replacement, substructure repairs, and scour countermeasures. A continuous superstructure system was utilized to eliminate the deck joint over the center pier. Concrete spalling and cracking at abutments, wingwalls and piers were also repaired. Installation of the scour countermeasures was completed in two stages to provide access for installation at the center pier while maintaining an adequate hydraulic opening for temporary conditions.

BL Companies provided land surveying and mapping, environmental services, preliminary engineering studies, preliminary and final design, permitting, bidding phase services, shop drawing review, full time construction administration and inspection and consultation during construction. These services included bridge type studies, geotechnical investigations, boring plans, wetlands evaluations, roadway detour plans, roadway cross sections and details, hydraulics and drainage, scour analysis, utility coordination, and the design of pavement markings and signage.

The construction administration and inspection included providing a full-time resident engineer/chief inspector in addition to technical, clerical and administrative support in accordance with CTDOT Construction Inspection requirements.  The construction engineering and inspection included construction survey, material testing, development and maintenance of project records, monitoring of traffic control, coordination and liaison, plan review, environmental monitoring and construction certification.

Shoppes at Susquehanna

The Shoppes at Susquehanna Marketplace is a perfectly situated 110,000 SF retail shopping destination with more than two dozen stores and restaurants and over 550 parking spaces. The marketplace is a catalyst for an exciting and convenient upscale lifestyle shopping experience in the central Pennsylvania Capitol City of Harrisburg.