Archives

The Home Depot

The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Headquartered in Vinings, an Atlanta suburb, The Home Depot operates more than 2,100 big-box stores across the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. BL Companies provided engineering and environmental services for the development of The Home Depot stores throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, including various stores in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. BL Companies conducted due diligence evaluations for new and renovated buildings, site development, site erosion and sediment control design, exceptional value wetland delineation, site design and multi-agency permitting and roadway improvements.

CarMax

CarMax, headquartered in Richmond, VA, is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. BL Companies has provided due diligence and detailed design services related to the construction of Carmax’s new facilities in Connecticut. Dealerships were designed in the capitol City of Hartford and in the shoreline Town of East Haven, which is a 20,000 SF facility that employs more than 50 people and stocks approximately 350 vehicles.

BL Companies has gained a thorough understanding of Carmax’s program needs and has implemented the program within the specific regulations that apply locally to its projects.

BL Companies provides a full range of services including land surveying, construction stakeout, site planning and design, traffic engineering, environmental sciences, permitting and construction assistance. Additionally, BL Companies has provided construction stakeout for projects in various locations throughout the region and layout for some new stores or store expansions.

Dunkin Brands

Dunkin’ Donuts is an international donut and coffee retailer founded nearly 60 years ago. The company continues to expand new freestanding and in-line stores and renovate its existing facilities.

As Dunkin’ Brands’ preferred design consultant, BL Companies has regularly provided due diligence and design development services related to new construction, redevelopment and expansion throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. BL Companies has gained a thorough understanding of Dunkin’ Brands’ program needs and has implemented the program within the specific regulations that apply to the locales of its projects.

BL Companies provides a full range of services including land surveying, construction stakeout, site planning and design, traffic engineering, environmental sciences, permitting and construction assistance. Additionally, BL Companies has provided construction stakeout for projects in various locations throughout the region and layout for some new stores or store expansions.

Design of Medium Temperature Water Network

BL Companies has been retained to perform Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) services at the Bronx Zoo for the design of a new Medium Temperature Water network. The Bronx Zoo has a cogeneration power plant where the domestic water gets heated and piped throughout the buildings at the zoo. Years ago, they had oil tanks at different areas of the zoo to heat the water through individual burners in the basements of each building.

BL Companies will be providing SUE services for tracing out the existing underground utilities using electromagnetic induction and ground penetrating radar.

Georgetown Streetscape

BL Companies assisted the Town of Redding to create a cohesive pedestrian-friendly environment and gateways to emphasize the Downtown and pedestrian crossings.  BL Companies provided master planning, design and construction administration/inspection services for the redevelopment of the Historic Mill Town Center.

The firm recognized the need to develop planning guidelines and provided the needed space for streetscape and parking along Main Street.  Streetscape elements were also developed along Routes 107 and Route 57 and incorporated within part of the village.  The design included streetscape, parking and underground utilities.  A streetscape with specialty paving, street furnishings and lighting, parallel parking, planted medians, crosswalks and sidewalks was also included in the plan.

BL Companies provided full-time construction engineering and inspection on the project in accordance with Connecticut Department of Transportation policies, procedures, guidelines and documentation requirements including material testing and certification.

 

Roadway and Intersection Improvements on West Main Street (Route 71)

BL Companies provided survey and design services for the City of Meriden for a roadway and intersection improvement project involving 1,100 feet along West Main Street (Route 71) and approximately 400 feet along Lewis and Linsley Avenues. West Main Street is classified as an urban principal arterial roadway, while Lewis and Linsley Avenues are classified as local urban collector roadways. The intersection provides a common link between downtown Meriden and the Westfield Shopping Center. The West Main Street corridor is a highly congested area located in a mixed-use (commercial and residential) neighborhood with minimal on-street and off-street parking. This corridor also has an undersized drainage system and deteriorating sidewalks. The project mainly consists of minor roadway widening and sidewalk improvements which include the following: reconstruction of existing concrete sidewalk, installation of new concrete curbing, traffic signal, pavement widening with full-depth bituminous concrete pavement and a bituminous concrete pavement overlay. Improvements to the existing storm drainage system were also performed, including new catch basins and upgraded storm sewer pipes.

Street widening in this urban setting proved to be quite challenging. In order to achieve the proposed grades, careful consideration was given to the existing buildings that abut the sidewalk. Providing streetscape features while maintaining the existing elevations along the building frontages was a crucial element of the project. Several utilities were also relocated including the relocation of existing utility poles and light standards, and water and sanitary sewer connections. The landscaping design for this project included a 6,000 square foot “pocket park” with decorative benches, plantings and trash receptacles, as well as the installation of ornamental street trees.

Other responsibilities included coordination with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, utility coordination, preparation of contract drawings and technical specifications.

Dog Lane Improvements

BL Companies provided engineering services to design streetscape, roadway and utility infrastructure improvements along Dog Lane as part of several public infrastructures projects associated with the Storrs Center Development in the Town of Mansfield.

This project included streetscape and enhancement improvements to Dog Lane including realignment of Dog Lane and relocation of the intersection of Dog Lane with Route 195 (Storrs Road). The project provided a pedestrian friendly environment, provided limited on-street parking, and provided landscaping and decorative streetscape elements throughout the project limits. The existing drive for the Bishop Parking Lot was reconstructed to full-depth as part of this project. The entire lengths of Dog Lane, within the Project limits, were reconstructed to full-depth. Utility relocation and improvements included underground electric, communication, water, sewer and gas.

The project was reviewed and administered by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) due to Federal and State funding.

Interstate 84 Auxiliary Lane Addition, CTDOT

I-84 is a major interstate highway between Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. It traverses Connecticut from the southwest corner to the northeast border, which gives the state the highway’s longest stretch of the corridor. BL Companies is providing design services to the Connecticut Department of Transportation for the proposed addition of auxiliary lanes along I-84 in West Hartford. This project includes the replacement and widening of the superstructures for the I-84 eastbound and westbound bridges over Berkshire Road and I-84 westbound over Ridgewood Road. BL Companies also performed detailed bridge inspections for the evaluation of the existing structures.

BL Companies is responsible for providing wetland delineation, survey, subsurface utility exploration, geotechnical engineering, highway design, drainage design, structural design, permitting, lighting design, and the review of shop drawings. BL Companies is also responsible for obtaining Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Inland Wetlands and Watercourses, Stormwater Discharge Permits and Flood Management Certification Approval.

BL Companies survey tasks have included the update of CTDOT aerial maps, research of utility company records, field surveying of utility locations, delineation of inland wetlands, horizontal and vertical survey control, detailed bridge surveys with horizontal and vertical location of abutments, haunches, seats, decks, stakeout and mapping of test pits and soil borings as well as ground topographic survey/cross-sections.

East End Park

In conjunction with the development of a streetscape theme for the reconstruction of the Main Street (Route 44) area of downtown Winsted, BL Companies provided design services for Phase I and II improvements for the historic town green surrounded by Routes 44, 8, and 843. BL Companies prepared construction plans for submission to CTDOT District IV, while adhering to STEAP grant funding requirements. BL Companies provided contract documents and construction administration services that consisted in assisting the bidding phase, meetings; shop drawing reviews, weekly site visits and progress reports.

The park improvements consisted of new handicap accessible sidewalks, granite curbing, brick paver walks, and other amenities such as benches and granite bollards with a steel railing system surrounding the green. The overall design theme was concentrated around existing historic granite monuments and enhancing them with an interesting sidewalk pattern and decorative walk treatments. These enhancements were coordinated with the Main Street Enhancement project and STEAP committee, led by BL Companies, in an effort to provide a consistent theme within the community.

Hoppers / Birge Pond Nature Preserve

BL Companies provided landscape architecture, civil engineering and structural engineering services for improvements to the Hoppers / Birge Pond Nature Preserve. The Hoppers / Birge Pond Nature Preserve is located near downtown Bristol. Featuring dramatic, glacially influenced geologic formations and rich in archeological and historical resources, the preserve is a unique area and is undiscovered by many residents.

Improvements included enlarged parking areas on either side of the existing dam and accessible pedestrian paths between the lots.  Amenities included an ADA-accessible fishing platform, timber guiderail, lighting, benches and picnic tables and native plantings along the water’s edge. These improvements have increased community awareness of the preserve and the adjacent trail systems throughout the preserve.

Future improvements will include trail enhancements, ecological restoration, interpretive and regulatory signs and updated trail maps and brochures.