MBC awarded medical office building at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital

001135772SAP AG6190614.096800x600Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USJAX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri;}McDonald Building Company has been named the Construction Manager for the renovations at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital’s medical office building - a $2 million single phase interior renovation project of the 3-story space.  The 40,000 square foot building will primarily include full demolition of the existing partitions, installation of new mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems along with all new finishes.  Features include the fit-out of 27 new exam rooms, 7 medical office suites, 3 laboratories, 2 intake nooks, and 6 restrooms.  Elevator finishes will be replaced and a new waiting area with visitor amenities will be created. 

Brawer & Hauptman Architects and Watchdog Project Management are a part of the collaborative effort to bring these new medical services and updated space to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital this summer.  Construction is to begin in April and is anticipated to run 5 months.

MBC Volunteers For Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Week

0011931102SAP AG92129314.096800x600Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USJAX-NONE/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-priority:99;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri;}With an open heart and willing hand, the women of McDonald Building Company volunteered in Norristown last Friday to “Build Like a Girl” and participate in Women's Build Week for Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity's latest project.  This year the Women Build Week volunteers rehabbed a 3-story row home, a home located in the heart of the Neighborhood Revitalization Zone in Norristown.  Led by Patti and Debbie, two dedicated and knowledgeable Habitat volunteers, the MBC crew teamed up to frame the exterior walls and windows of the master bedroom along with some flooring prep. 

This year, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County celebrates 25 years of strengthening families throughout Montgomery County.  Since its humble beginnings in 1989 as a small grass-roots organization, Habitat has successfully built and rehabbed 58 homes in Norristown, Pottstown, Upper Dublin, and Hatfield. For more information on the 25th Anniversary “Block Party” Celebration on April 23, 2015 at the Elmwood Park Zoo, visit http://www.habitatmontco.org.

To help celebrate Habitat MontCo’s 25th Anniversary, McDonald Building Company is planning another Corporate Build Day for the entire staff this year to continue the support of this great organization.

MBC Volunteers for Habitat Build Day, Celebrates Home Dedication

The Carey family of five is settling into their newly renovated home thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County.  Unable to afford a place large enough to house the whole family, this hardworking mom moved her family into her parents' modest home to save her resources while she worked full-time as a med tech and attended college part-time.  After 20 months and 200 hours of "sweat equity" including volunteer work on her own home, Sanae and her family have a newly renovated place on W. Airy Street in Norristown to call home. MBC was there to celebrate in the Home Dedication Ceremony last month and tour the space.

As part of an ongoing relationship with Habitat MontCo, the MBC crew (and family members wanting to help) was offered to participate in a Corporate Build Day rehabilitation of this home this past spring.  Our trained carpenters and staff lended their hands and expertise to the interior drywall application of the first floor main living space, ceilings, and stairwells of this twin built in the early 1900's.  The Build Day proved to be a great learning experience for our staff and overall an enjoyable experience. 

"Since the beginning of our partnership with Habitat MontCo, we wanted to help out on a project that would provide the most impact given the skills our carpenters already use day in and day out on our jobsites.  This W. Airy project was well-suited for our crew given the stage in the building process.  As a construction company, it is natural for us to partner with Habitat MontCo. We appreciate the value we can offer to Habitat and also the rewarding learning experiences it offers in return," says Paul McDonald, President.

A few months prior, the women of MBC volunteered at this very same project in the early stages of framing for Women Build Week.  Click here to read more about their experience. 

JBJ Soul Homes wins 2014 Award for Excellence by ULI Philadelphia

JBJ Soul Homes was 1 of 9 award recipients of the 2014 ULI Philadelphia's Awards for Excellence last week.  More than 70 applications for the award were received and just 9 were chosen from a national panel of jurists.

Projects selected for an award were those that best met ULI’s mission to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide; achieve excellence in the use of best practices; demonstrate quality planning and design; incorporate elements that build healthy places; promote environmental sustainability and energy reduction; achieve economic success and market acceptance; and meet community needs.

Congratulations to Project HOME, Kitchen & Associates Architects, Innova, and People for People.  A special thanks to the lead funders that made it possible: JBJ Soul Foundation, Elizabeth Moran, Leigh and John Middleton, TD Bank, and PHFA.

For a complete list of award winners click here.

North Penn Commons Breaks Ground

(Lansdale, Pa.) McDonald Building Company has been named the Construction Manager for North Penn Commons - a $12.6 million 4-story housing development that will provide affordable and transitional housing opportunities for seniors and older adults with disabilities.  More than 100 supporters gathered yesterday to celebrate the official groundbreaking and start of construction including speakers from the North Penn Community Health Foundation and funding agencies.

Located at the former Lans-Bowl property in Lansdale, North Penn Commons brings together four organizations to this $27.4 million multi-use gateway complex that will include a YMCA expansion and new locations for Manna on Main Street to operate its soup kitchen, and The PEAK Center, programs for active adults, all connected by a unified atrium.  This all-access lobby will connect the campus and serve as the heart and hub of activity for all residents, members, clients and community members.

The 82,000 sq. ft. facility will include 60 residential units for Advanced Living Communities and features on-site resident services including recreational activities, medical & educational resources, and access to supportive services and transportation for the aging community.

Construction is planned for August of this year and is expected to be complete in 13 months.

Urban Land Institute (ULI) nominates two MBC projects for 2014 Awards for Excellence

JBJ Soul Homes and 115 21st Street have both been selected as finalists for ULI Philadelphia's Inaugural Williard G. "Bill" Rouse Awards for Excellence.  The Awards for Excellence will recognize the best projects completed within the last five years in Eastern & Central PA, Southern NJ, and Delaware.

The 28 finalists were selected from the 60 nominations ULI received and represent a wide variety of project types, including adaptive reuse, commercial, residential and many more from across the tri-state region. 

Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony June 18th, 2014.

Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities.

Women at MBC Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

The women of McDonald Building Company grabbed some coffee and power tools and headed over to Airy Street in Norristown last Friday to participate in Women's Build Week for Montgomery County Habitat for Humanity's latest project.  With no experience necessary, Women's Build Week brought together a great group of women volunteers who all had the same goal in mind - to help single mom Sanae achieve her dream of owning a home. 

The original home was donated to HFHMC by an elderly couple and the interior of the home had been completely demolished since construction began in November 2013.  Our team of 5 led by Patti Post, long-time Habitat volunteer worked to reframe the home and learned some valuable construction skills along the way.  The finished home will have four bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms and plans to have the family move in end of June of this year.

"Thanks to many kind-hearted and generous supporters, our team well surpassed our fundraising goal and we raised over $2600!  Not only was Womens Build Week a great opportunity for us to learn some new skills, it was quite an empowering experience knowing our impact that day extended far beyond one day of service," says Danielle Terpoilli, Assistant Estimator. 

And they're not stopping there.  McDonald Building Company is planning a Corporate Build Day April 5th, same home, to involve the entire staff to continue their support of this family.  Check out our MBC Facebook page or HFHMC Facebook page this spring to see progress of Sanae's home. 

Want to help?  MBC Is hosting a Dining for Dollars fundraiser at Bertucci's of Audubon March 25th.  Come for lunch or dinner and 15% of your bill will go to Habitat for Humanity.  Click here for flyer.

From left to right: Joy Springer - Historical Commission of City of Phila (spouse of MBC's Brad Springer), Leslie Richards - Montgomery County Commissioner, Laura Clevenger - MBC, Danielle Terpoilli - MBC, Patti Post - HFHMC Trainer and Volunteer

Jon Bon Jovi visits JBJ Soul Homes

The rock star legend himself came to visit the JBJ Soul Homes project a few weeks ago as MBC is nearing the completion of construction.  Jon Bon Jovi and his foundation, JBJ Soul Foundation, provided a significant amount of funds and vision for this project and walked the site to check out progress.  Later that night, Bon Jovi performed at the GreenBuild Philadelphia's keynote celebration.

Construction Walls Become Art Halls at Pine Run Health Center

Originally published by Pine Run Retirement Community

During renovations in The Garden at Pine Run Retirement Community, plain construction walls are turned into beautiful art halls for residents.  Originators of the idea (pictured) were Kristen Moore, Life Enrichment Coordinator at Pine Run and MBC Superintendent Tim O'Connell.

This fresh opportunity for self-expression attracted residents with memory impairment to tap their inner artist.

GreenBuild 2013 to Feature JBJ Soul Homes

McDonald Building Co (MBC) is proud to announce their own JBJ Soul Homes project will be featured through Greenbuild's Regional Tours on November 18th, 2013 2pm.

Kitchen & Associates' Architect Matt Bartner alongside MBC's Paul McDonald, will be onsite to provide first-hand exploration of process, design, and construction of this multi-use complex designed to be LEED Silver.

GreenBuild 2013 is U.S. Green Building Council's international conference & expo dedicated to all things sustainable and renewable in the building industry.  Philadelphia is the host city this year and will attract 30,000 attendees from 90 countries and will feature over 1000 exhibitors.  Next year's 2014 GreenBuild will be hosted in New Orleans, LA.

Update: 12/4/2013

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Dozens of attendees from the GreenBuild Conference & Expo hopped on a tour bus November 18th to see first-hand the sustainable projects Philadelphia has been working on.  The bus tour, formally titled "Building Connections, Building Community: Campus Living and Supportive Housing" traveled to Temple University's campus and stopped at Paseo Verde - a LEED ND Platinum housing development and Morgan Residence Hall - new student dormitories.  Temple Gratz II was another stop on the tour (also an MBC project) and lastly, JBJ Soul Homes. 

Tour photos here:

115 21st Street Micro-Unit Apartment Renovations ABC News Feature

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McDonald Building Company selected as Construction Manager for five-story health care facility

McDonald Building Company is proud to be selected as the Construction Manager for a complete renovation of the 88,000 sq. ft. existing Health Center at Pine Run Retirement Community.   Construction expected to begin late 2013 and is scheduled to open 2015.

For more information, click here to read article written by Barbara Chierici, Senior Director of Marketing @ Pine Run Retirement Community.

McDonald Building Company partners with U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Program

McDonald Building Company (MBC)  is proud to announce its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR for New Homes Program.  Through this partnership, MBC will provide homebuyers with energy efficient new homes that save money on utility bills, offer greater comfort and better performance, and help to protect the environment.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the EPA.   Homes built to the ENERGY STAR guidelines are at least 20% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2009 International Residential Code, and include additional energy saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard new homes.

“As a builder of multi-family residential and commercial construction projects, partnering with Energy Star just makes good sense.  Their programs help our field supervisors maintain better quality control in the field while saving our clients and end users money long after we are gone,” says Paul McDonald, President.

ENERGY STAR qualified homes offer all the features people want in a new home, plus energy-saving features like comprehensive air sealing, properly installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, whole-house mechanical ventilation, water-managed construction details, energy-efficient lighting and appliances and third-party verification.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 23,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov.

Chapman Chevrolet renovations underway, Ford dealership complete

The renovations at the Chapman Chevrolet have begun and is on track to be complete in a tight 6-month schedule wrapping up this spring.  The 24,000 sq. ft. auto dealership on Essington Avenue will be adding a new showroom, service extension, a link between the sales and service buildings, and a new controlled service dropoff area all the while remaining fully occupied and operational during construction.  Chapman Auto Group is the Owner and Kramer + Marks Architects is the Architect of Record.

This is the second project MBC is building for Chapman Auto Group.  McDonald Building Company just completed the additions and renovations for Chapman Ford Northeast over on Roosevelt Boulevard in the fall of 2012, another tight schedule of 3 months to complete.  The Ford dealership offers a new customer showroom, entrance upgrades, and service department offices along with a new express drop-off/pick-up area. 

JBJ Soul Homes – Affordable housing mixed use project launches at Broad & Fairmount

(Philadelphia, Pa.) McDonald Building Company has been named the Construction Manager for JBJ Soul Homes - an $11 million housing development that will cater to low-income families and individuals trying to escape homelessness.  More than 200 supporters gathered yesterday under a pitched tent to celebrate the official start of construction on the site.

JBJ Soul Homes is a four-story mixed use development with 15,000 sq. ft. ground floor retail and commercial space along with 75,000 sq. ft. of 55 residential rental units above.

The project is a collaboration, led by Project H.O.M.E., People for People, and Greater Exodus Baptist Church and is being funded by a broad number of public sources and private donations, most notably JBJ Soul Foundation, founded by Musician Jon Bon Jovi, along with Leigh and John Middleton, who run a charitable housing initiative called the Middleton Partnership.

JBJ Soul Homes is expected to be completed by Fall 2013.  Click here to view progress photos of the project.

Brad Springer joins MBC as Lead Estimator

McDonald Building Company is proud to welcome Brad Springer to our team as Lead Estimator.  Brad joins us with over 10 years of estimating experience with an extensive concentration in the healthcare, institutional and pharmaceutical industries.  In his current role, Brad will be taking the lead here in the Estimating Department. 

Project highlights include an $82mm hospital expansion at Paoli Memorial Hospital along with their $13.5mm new parking garage addition.  Brad also recently estimated and purchased a $3mm operating room renovation at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and the new $15mm Nursing School at Widener University. 

Brad is a Civil Engineering graduate of Drexel University and is a LEED® Green Associate.

McDonald Building Company gears up for the start of three projects

We are proud to announce the start of construction on three new projects this summer– two in South Jersey and one in downtown Philadelphia.

As part of the NJHMFA Multifamily Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Northgate II (Camden, NJ) will receive significant energy efficient upgrades with plans to exceed an energy reduction target of 15% and a payback period of less than 10 years.  Scope of work includes $2.0 MM in upgrades to the mechanical, electrical, and exterior envelope of the structure resulting in significant energy cost reductions.  Northgate is owned by Fair Share Housing Development Corporation and Lammey & Giorgio is the architect on record.  Construction begins July 2011 and is expected to run approximately five months.  John Ambrose, Project Manager will be leading this project.

Renovations of 120 Haddontowne Court (Cherry Hill, NJ) are currently underway and are being converted into new law offices.  The new space will include a detailed lobby/waiting area, custom millwork, installation of fresh new lighting and finishes.  Haddontowne Court is estimated to complete September 2011.  Project architect is GLP Architects.

And lastly for now, Sedgley Plaza (Ridge & Sedgley Avenues, Philadelphia, Pa.) – a new 22,000 sq. ft. retail center will soon undergo sitework and construction with the objective to be in business for the 2011 holiday season.  Dollar General will be the anchor store along with seven individual retail stores. Ajile Properties is the Owner and JKR Partners  is the project architect.  Ben Lusch will be heading up this project as Project Manager for MBC.