Inn On The Pond - innonthepond

A NEW BEGINNING

We are very proud to announce that Pinellas County issued the Certificate of Occupancy for The Inn on the Pond on February 29, 2012. The subcontractors have moved out and the new owners have moved in. Menorah Manor is busy getting their new building ready for their new residents, who should start arriving any day now.

Creative Contractors, Inc. thanks you for following our progress over the past thirteen months as we completed the construction of The Inn on the Pond. If you would like to see examples of other project by Creative Contractors, Inc., please select our link below.

THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT

A little over a year ago we broke ground and started the groundwork required to support what is now “The Inn on the Pond”. We started planning the progress by month, then by week, and now we are down to days. The excitement to finish “our” building is unmistakable.

The exterior changes over the last month make for an eye-popping site as you approach the entrance. Valley Crest Landscape Development has worked diligently to plant thousands of plants and trees to maintain the natural beauty of the pond and nature preserve. Gilbert & Byrd is putting the last of the stone in place on the building and B.R.W. Contracting will be laying the final lift of asphalt and striping the parking lot within the next few days.

Inside the building Creative Contractors is pulling off the protective coverings in the resident rooms and Sunshine Services of Central Florida is cleaning each room in preparation for turning the building over to Menorah Manor at the end of February. All other subcontractors are working diligently putting on the finishing touches throughout the rest of the building - light fixtures are being installed, flooring is being laid, the last walls are being painted, air conditioning is being checked, and the final touches are being put in place.

This time next month we will be presenting a final update on the project. All inspections will be complete and Menorah Manor will have taken occupancy. Everything will be ready for the new residents of “The Inn on the Pond”.

IT LOOKS LIKE "SPRING CLEANING" AROUND HERE

“Spring Cleaning” has started early at The Inn on the Pond. As we come down to the last few weeks of construction and we complete portions of the building, we are moving materials around and cleaning up behind us as we move to the next section. Storage space is at a premium, but materials keep coming. They are temporarily stored wherever we can find a spot. As you look through the photos, you may still notice stacks of building materials, as well as what looks to be a whole lot of paper and plastic over the floors, counters, fixtures, etc. They may not make for a pretty picture, but they do make for a beautiful end product as they protect the new finishes from scratches, dents, paint splatters, etc. Please be patient – the protective coverings will be coming off and everything will be organized and in its proper place very soon.

The first thing you may notice as you approach the building is that all scaffolding has been removed. The exterior stucco and painting are finished and the building is ready for the decorative stone to be set in place in January. If you make it around to the back of the building, you will see we have some landscaping in place! ValleyCrest had to plant the large trees prior to pouring the concrete for the Promenade to prevent the heavy equipment from damaging and breaking up the concrete once it was in place. Once the trees were planted, Gilbert & Byrd began prepping and pouring the concrete. At the same time, B.R.W. was busy on the south side of the property laying the first lift of asphalt and installing the curbs for the south parking lot.

As you enter the building you will once again notice that all scaffolding has been removed. The majority of the overhead mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection is complete and most of the drywall is in place and finished. The residential units on the first floor of the two towers are basically finished and “locked down” to prevent unnecessary traffic in and out of the rooms, thereby preventing potential damage to the finishes. As each floor is finished it will be closed off to traffic and ready and waiting for the cleaning crew to come in at the end of the project. As the residential towers are completed the subcontractors are moving to the rest of the building to finish their scopes of work. There is still a lot of work to get done in the non-resident areas (Kitchen, Assembly, Multipurpose Room, etc.) to have the building ready for the final inspections and issuance of certificate of occupancy in February.

There is still a lot of activity that has to take place throughout the month of January. But, in the not-to-distant future, the construction will be finished, equipment will be tested and tweaked, the cleaners will have made their way through the building, all the landscaping will be planted and growing, and the last stripe will be painted on the parking lot. It will be time to turn the keys over to the new owners.

Look At All That Activity

The end of the project is fast approaching and you can feel the excitement building as a whole new group of subcontractors comes in to complete the project and turn over a beautiful building for the future residents. Now that the initial trades have completed the majority of the electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and drywall layout and installation, the finishing subcontractors have moved into the interior of the building. You can see the progression as the subcontractors complete one floor and move on to the next. Southern Quality is installing the interior doors, Trio Plus Painting is applying the finish coatings of paint, Bay Area Commercial Interiors is installing ceramic tile on the bathroom walls and floors, J & E Custom Cabinets is installing cabinetry, and APG is installing the light fixtures. There is a lot of coordination taking place right now to make sure that so many trades keep on schedule and don’t run over each other.

Major changes are taking place around the exterior of the building also. KHS&S has completed all stucco work and Trio Plus Painting has finished the exterior painting. Soon you will see Gilbert & Byrd setting the decorative stone at the front of the building. Curtis Pools was on site and poured the swimming pool, while behind the scenes the project team was selecting the final finishes for the pool and deck. The team has also been meeting with Valley Crest to finalize the landscaping details so that all trees and plants compliment the architecture of the building and provide a beautiful, relaxing environment for residents.

Activity around the site is constantly increasing as we approach our finish date and things are changing on a daily basis. Next month you will be able to see a much clearer picture of what the end result will be. Please check back then.

Construction Update

Things move quickly at this stage of the project. The exterior stucco and painting is almost complete, Pinnacle Door has installed all the exterior doors, and Countryside Glass has installed the windows. Ramcon has started laying shingles, so the roof should be finished soon. And if you notice a big hole in front of the building when you drive by, it’s because Curtis Pools has started digging the pool near the entrance to the building.

Activity has really picked up on the interior of the building now. Bayshore Plumbing, Blume Mechanical, APG Electric, and St. Petersburg Fire Protection continue moving from floor to floor roughing in the mechanical, electrical, and fire protection conduit and piping ahead of drywall for the walls and ceilings being installed by KHS&S Contractors. Work has progressed enough on the first floors of the building so that Trio Plus Painting is painting rooms, J & E Cabinets is installing cabinets, and Bay Area Commercial Interiors is laying tile in the bathrooms. In the Kitchen the range hoods have been installed, the ceiling is going in, and the epoxy floor will be set early in November in preparation of all the kitchen equipment and washers and dryers being installed at the end of November.

Next month will see a steady progression from floor to floor of all the trades and the exterior of the building should be complete. As soon as approval comes from the Pinellas County Building Department, site work for the Promenade that will overlook the Pond in back will commence. The Project Team has already started looking at the landscaping and the pool finishes that will complete the exterior appearance of the building. What a long way we’ve come in just a few short months!

September 2011 Update

A number of visual changes have occurred on site this month. If you happen to drive down Greenbriar Boulevard, you will immediately notice the addition of color to the exterior of the building. KHS&S has completed the stucco application to Memory Care and Trio Plus Painting followed right behind to complete the painting. Both subcontractors are now working on completing the exterior of the Residence Units. You will also notice that we now have windows and exterior doors installed in all areas of the building. Countryside Glass & Mirror and Southern Quality have worked diligently to install the doors and windows so we have a watertight building. We also had cranes back on site this month as APG Electric installed the generator and Blume Mechanical installed the cooling towers in the Mechanical Yard.

Now that we are watertight, our subcontractors have jumped in and are moving right along on the interior of the building. KHS&S has completed the drywall on the first floor of Memory Care and has moved over to the first floor of the Residence Units. From there they will move to the Kitchen area so all prep work can be complete for delivery of the kitchen equipment at the end of November. As always, Blume Mechanical, APG Electric, Bayshore Plumbing, and St. Petersburg Fire are working quickly to stay ahead of the drywall subcontractor and have the next area ready so they don’t have to wait. Our subcontractors are doing a fantastic job of coordinating each step.

The most talked about story of the month, though, is the successful completion of the Model Apartments. After much hard work and long hours to complete the interior finishes on one unit in Memory Care and one unit in the Residential Area, Creative Contractors turned the Model Apartments over to Menorah Manor Senior Living. They quickly started moving in furniture and decorating the Apartments so possible tenants will have an opportunity to view what their future home may look like. Please take a minute to view the photos.

August 2011 Update

Tremendous changes to the exterior of the buildings have taken place the month of August. Trusses have been installed on all sections and all lightweight concrete roofing is complete as we move ever closer to a dried-in building. KHS&S Contractors started applying the stucco finish to the exterior of Memory Care mid-August. Southern Quality also began installing doors and the last week in August room window installation in Memory Care and storefront windows in Assembly was underway by Countryside Glass & Mirror. The roof, stucco, windows, and doors will form a system to keep moisture from penetrating to the interior of the building. The most noticeable change to the building is the paint. After the stucco finish dried and colors were approved by the design team, Trio Plus Painting began painting the exterior of Memory Care. Throughout the month of September they will follow the stucco applicator from area to area until all sections are complete and it looks like one complete building – Inn on the Pond.

All trades are maintaining a steady pace on the building interior. KHS&S continues with room layout and framing; Blume Mechanical, Bayshore Plumbing, and APG electric progressively move forward with the mechanical, plumbing and electrical layouts on all floors; and St. Petersburg Fire is hanging pipe throughout all sections. Pinellas County inspectors have been on site daily to verify that all work meets building codes. Everyone on site is working together to meet our target date of September 1 for complete dry-in so we can start hanging drywall in the first floor rooms of Memory Care.

Behind the scenes, Creative Contractors has been working with Menorah Manor Senior Living and Besselo Design Group to finalize the interior finishes. These are critical decisions that must be completed so that the major event of September stays on schedule: the opening of the completed Mock-Up Room for viewing. In manufacturing and design, a mock-up is a scale or full-size model of a design or device used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, or promotion. In this instance, the Mock-Up Room will be full size model of a one-bedroom unit for possible future tenants to view. There will be more information regarding the Mock-Up Room in September's update.

Moving Closer to Dry-In

The month of July saw the team working ever so much closer to the critical milestone of a dried-in building. The roof deck on Memory Care is in place and the metal trusses are being set. Window sills are in and temporary plastic covers the windows until permanent windows are delivered in August. You can also see scaffolding around Memory Care as KHS&S prepares to start spraying stucco. Interior room layout and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire sprinkler rough-in is basically complete on first floor and our subcontractors are making steady progress on the second and third floors. All is on target in anticipation of the start of drywall installation.

Gilbert and Byrd has completed the third floor block in the Residence units and the building is ready for the hollow core floor planks to be set by Coreslab the first week in August. Blume Mechanical, APG Electric, Bayshore Plumbing, and St. Petersburg Fire also have crews working rough-in on all three floors of the Residence units and KHS&S is progressing with interior framing and wall layout.

The Multi-Purpose/Kitchen and Administration buildings and the lightweight concrete roof insulation is in place. The lightweight concrete process includes installation of styrofoam over a thin layer of concrete followed by a layer of concrete poured over the styrofoam. Lightweight concrete insulation is an economical, long-term solution to protect your buildings from water intrusion. The roofs in these areas are ready for setting the trusses in early August

Creative Contractors, Inc., along with Bessolo Design Group and Menorah Manor, is continuing with the submittal review process for interior finishes – paint, flooring, ceiling, and cabinetry. There is also an increase in on-site coordination meetings between Creative Contractors, Architect, and Owner to ensure any changes to enhance the design and maintenance of the facility are addressed quickly and forwarded to the subcontractors in a timely manner to keep the project on schedule.

Lastly, in keeping with a long-standing tradition in the construction field, on July 21 Creative Contractors provided a topping-out party for our subcontractors who have worked so diligently to get us to roof level. The subcontractors, along with representatives from Menorah Manor and Bessolo Design Group, enjoyed lunch from Wing House. Creative Contractors thanks everyone for their hard work and dedication to keeping this project on schedule.

Building Progress

June was another busy month as our subcontractors worked steadily toward the goal of completing the placement of the hollow core floor plank, concrete block walls, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in as quickly as possible to get the buildings under roof. Our masonry subcontractor, Gilbert & Byrd, continued the concrete block walls for the 3rd floor of Memory Care along with the first and second floors of the Residence units. They also provided the concrete floor topping after Coreslab Structures placed the hollow core planks for each floor. KHS&S Contracting, our metal framing subcontractor, continued with the framing of the interior partition walls and Blume Mechanical, Bayshore Plumbing and APG Electric continued with the installation of the overhead piping and conduit and wall rough-in work.

Behind the scenes, Creative Contractors continued the buy-out and submittal approval of the interior finishes. They also continued to conduct on-going coordination meetings between Menorah Manor Senior Living, Creative Contractors, Besselo Design Group, and the subcontractors working on the project. Besides the excellent coordination of the subcontractors in the field, these meeting are critical to insuring the project stays on schedule and that any questions and issues are addressed and resolved quickly so as not to delay any portion of the work.

Creative Contractors also selected a LEED Consultant for the project and held their first meeting with the Consultant and the Design Team. For those that do not know, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Menorah Manor has committed to incorporating the principles of “green” building into the design and building of The Inn on the Pond. Creative Contractors is acknowledged as a leader in green building construction and has registered The Inn on the Pond project as a LEED certified facility. There will be more updates about LEED as the key components of LEED certification are incorporated into the building process.

Next month will see increased activity on site with the delivery and installation of exterior windows and commencement of roof truss installation and roofing dry-in activity. More subcontractors will be brought on board and we will start more interior work as the buildings become water tight.

May 2011 Update

The month of May has been busy and the building seems to rise on a daily basis. The exterior block walls, concrete columns, and structural beams that make up the support of the precast floors are on the rise. Behind us is the completion of all the underground piping and conduits that were needed to be completed for the 1^st floor slab.

After completion of the first floor block work for Memory Care (Section A) and the Bedroom Units (Section B), the hollow core planks are set. A hollow core plank is a precast slab of pre-stressed concrete that has tubular voids extending the full length of the slab. The slabs are cut to the length required for the building and shipped to the job site where a crane carefully swings the planks from the truck to the deck and each plank is set in place. After the hollow core planks are set and grouted, a concrete topping is poured over the planks forming the floor for the second story. Gilbert and Byrd, the masonry and concrete subcontractor, can then continue laying the block walls for the next floor level. At the same time, Blume Mechanical, APG Electric, and Bayshore Plumbing start the MEP rough-in on the second floor. KHS&S Framing & Drywall Company can also now begin metal frame layout of the interior walls on the lower floors.

It is now quite easy to see the buildings taking shape for Memory Care and the Bedroom Units. You can also see the Multi-Purpose / Kitchen (Section D) and Administration (Section E) Buildings starting to take shape. If you have been following the progression of the first two buildings, you can see that these two buildings are following the same path. Layout, MEP rough-in and slab are complete. Gilbert & Byrd is laying first floor block on Multi-Purpose/Kitchen and will move over to Administration next.

Next month the masonry walls and the setting of the hollow core planks should be coming to completion and we will be preparing for the next step, which is preparing for roof activities and working inside the buildings on the interior room partition walls.

April 2011 Update

The month of April has had a flurry of activity throughout the site, but the most notable changes can be seen in Section “A” (Memory Care) and Section “B” (Bedroom Units). The month started out with a big push to get the slab in Memory Care prepped and ready for the concrete pour on April 7. The concrete trucks started arriving at 7:30 a.m. and in about three hours Gilbert and Byrd had poured and spread 180 yards of concrete. Following closely behind were the finishers to insure that by the end of day the concrete had a smooth, level finish and was ready for the next set of crews to come in and start vertical construction. In the meantime, another set of crews was busy in the Living Units doing all the ground work to prepare for its slab pour on April 22.

Right behind the Memory Care slab pour, United Drilling was on site to drill the elevator pits on April 8. They were able to drill and cap all three 30’ holes in one day - a great way to end the week.

While all this activity was going on, other crews were busy working in the Assembly and Multi-Purpose / Kitchen areas. Gilbert and Byrd was completing layout, excavation and pouring of the concrete foundations. Blume Mechanical, APG Electric, and Bayshore Plumbing were working to get underground piping and conduit in place. All activity was geared toward getting the slabs for these two areas poured next month.

At the job site office Creative Contractors has been reviewing shop drawings and product submittals and forwarding them to the Architect for review. This is also a busy time working towards completion of the subcontractor buy-out process and coordinating Owner Direct Purchase Orders with vendors.

One of the most critical factors of the construction right now is coordination with each of the major trades. Creative has been diligently meeting with the subcontractors, architect, engineers, and owner to resolve any possible issues that may affect construction down the road. While this is an on-going process for the Construction Manager throughout construction, good coordination practices up front will lead to a successful completion of the project.

As we continue to complete the slabs-on-grade in May, you can look forward to seeing progress on the upper floor levels. Keep watching.

March 2011 Update

Things are looking up at The Inn on the Pond these days. As in, no longer do you look out across the site and see an expanse of dirt. As promised, the walls are starting to rise.

Gilbert & Byrd is on site focusing on layout and pouring of the building foundations and foundation walls for Sections A and B. The foundation walls and slabs for elevators 2 & 3 have been completed and our next big event is pouring the slab in Section A (Memory Care units). The concrete trucks are regular visitors to the site these days.

Our subcontractor team continues to grow as our mechanical, plumbing, and electrical underground piping and conduit are put in place. The site lift station has been installed and underground utility work continues.

April will be busy with concrete foundations, concrete slab pours, masonry walls, and underground piping for buildings. By the end of the month the footprint of the building will be in place.

There is much activity on the site these days, so stay tuned for regular updates.

January 2011: New Year Leads to a New Start

January 2011 was an exciting month for the Inn on the Pond team. After nearly three years of development, planning, and patience, work on the project has begun. Although it may not look like much, Creative Contractors and the sitework subcontractor have been preparing the soil to cultivate for the long held dream to build Inn on the Pond.

Just like the dream that was the seed planted in the hopes of Menorah Manor many years ago, Creative Contractors has been planting the seeds for a great new project by mobilizing our onsite staff and bringing subcontractor team members on board. The foundations will begin to grow, the concrete trucks will roll, and soon the walls will rise...

Stay tuned!!! We are just getting started...