Baywater Properties recently completed multiple capital improvement projects at 2777 Summer Street, one of Ashforth’s long-term, managed property assignments. The building, consisting of 111,000 square feet of office space on seven floors was purchased by Baywater Properties in 2015. Ashforth managed the property since 2006 for the previous owner and Baywater retained Ashforth when they took ownership.
Capital improvements included a complete overhaul of the parking garage, renovation of common corridors, a redesign of the building lobby and entrance, interior/exterior lighting retrofits, as well as an upgraded HVAC system with variable frequency drives, heating and cooling controls, and a new roof.
The parking lot renovation included repairs to concrete and structural steel and the installation of a new water proof membrane that will protect the structure for years. Besides the new membrane, new expansion and caulk joints were also installed which will eliminate future stress cracks that could compromise the integrity of the new membrane.
Along with the parking project, Ashforth supervised the installation of 628 new energy efficient windows. Much of the replacement work was performed during the winter months in order to keep the project on schedule. “It was important to us that the tenants could see noticeable change in the construction and that the project was moving forward,” said Gary Hock, Ashforth’s Building Engineer for 2777 Summer Street. “To maintain the tight schedule, we would go into a tenant’s space at night, tear everything out and rebuild the space before the next day. Doing this for 6 days a week, with the exception of extreme weather condition days, really allowed us to minimize the amount of time the tenants would not have access to their space,” explained Hock.
“Given the amount and diversity of projects that were going on, we believed it was essential that we keep an open line of communication with our tenants and keep them informed regularly. This enabled us to stay in front of any potential issues,” said Heather Evans, Ashforth’s Assistant Property Manager for 2777 Summer Street. Renovations done in common areas with a high volume of traffic, such as the lobby which received an extensive redesign, required the most attention. “Maintaining a healthy and productive environment for our building’s occupants is top priority,” added Evans, referencing the extra steps taken for tenant comfort such as installing a commercial air scrubbing machine in the lobby during renovations.
From a property manager standpoint, one of the more challenging aspects of a project of this capacity that is often overlooked is cleanup. When overseeing projects that involve demolishing, repairing and rebuilding, it’s inevitable to have debris and garbage. Ashforth’s standard operating procedures for proper debris disposal and cleanup on a regular base helped maintain a very clean environment with minimal disruptions for the building’s tenants.
Adding to the overall success of Baywater’s repositioning of 2777 Summer Street is the dramatic new lobby designed by Antinozzi Associates Architecture & Interiors. The lobby improvements include the installation of porcelain wall and floor tiles, as well as architectural LED light fixtures, and a modern lobby desk. Additionally, a new grand access path was created from the parking garage to the main lobby improving the natural path of travel flow making it a much more inviting space for tenants and visitors.
