Del-Sano

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey—the landowner investing $11-billion in the project—is responsible for the entire site. This work includes the agency's own projects: the $3.4-billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the $3.2-billion 1 WTC, the WTC Vehicle Screening Center and the shared WTC infrastructure and utilities, among them.
The hub and the office buildings flank the complex's heart and soul: the $700-million National September 11th Memorial and Museum. The local Lend Lease is building the memorial and museum. Currently, all other project teams are standing aside so that 80% of the eight-acre memorial will be able to open on Sept. 11.

The building team for the eight-acre urban park of the $700-million National September 11 Memorial & Museum—the emotional focal point of the $19-billion World Trade Center redevelopment in Lower Manhattan—is obsessed with something as mundane as surfaces: ground, water, stone and metal.

But the team has a huge burden on its shoulders, one that goes deep down. In the hubbub of activity at the 16-acre WTC site, crews have to deliver 80% of the structured park—a giant green roof topping the site's five-level basement— in pristine condition for the looming Sept. 11 ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
The memorial team is giving extra-special care to the heart and soul of the project: the 2,983 names of the 9/11 victims etched into the surface of bronze-covered parapets bordering each of the memorial's pools. The pools—each of which is 31,264 sq ft and contains 485,919 gallons of water—are set into the footprints of the original 110-story Twin Towers, destroyed by the terrorists.
While each pool has a pumping system powerful enough to recycle 52,000 gallons of water per minute, it is the surface of the nearly 1,600 lineal ft of parapets that had to be robust enough to withstand rain, scorching heat, snow and ice as well as the wear and tear of three million annual visitors. For the comfort of the millions of hands that will touch the etchings, the parapets have a heating and cooling system.
Go to ENR to read more on the 9/11 memorial.

Higher Education Facilities

2011-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

Seven Trends Shaping Student Housing

New financing schemes address rapid growth
Mixed-use energizes neighborhood vitality
Common areas must serve multiple purposes
Sustainability becomes a teaching tool
Prefab bathrooms show up on the radar
'Greek villages' make a comeback
Residential college system gains more adherents.

Today's college students wouldn't think of sharing a bathroom with a whole floor of cohorts. They expect flat panel TV's, cable, and high-speed Internet access everywhere-for both academic and social reasons-along with comfortable nooks and crannies in which to gather and study. These amenities may seem excessive to their bill-paying parents, but university officials say they're competing fiercly for top student talent, so they're giving customers what they want.

Building teams invested in programming, designing, and constructing collegiate residential facilities would do well to consider several trends that are influencing activities in this sector:

Alternative financing
Mixed use/urban refill
Innovative flexible common spaces
Sustainability as a lifetime learning tool

New university housing feeds students' environmental awareness and makes it easier for them to follow through with good ecological practices. Smart Building Teams can be equally motivated to use their skills and experience toward creating efficient, affordable residence facilities for today's university scholars.

Making the Business Case for Green Buildings- Top 10 Reasons!

2011-06-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

Why Commercial Building OWNERS Choose Green:

Green buildings are a competitive differentiator: Green buildings lower operating costs and better indoor environmental quality are more attractive to a growing group of corporate, public and individual buyers' decisions about purchasing properties and homes.
Green buildings help mitigate risk: green building certification can provide some measure of protection against future lawsuits through third party verification of measures installed to protect indoor air quality, beyond just meeting code-required minimums. Green buildings tend to be easier to rent & sell, because educated tenants increasingly understand their benefits.
Green buildings attract tenants: Today's savvier tenants understand and are looking for the benefits that green building space have to offer. The new Class A office space is green; lease-up rates for green buildings typically range from average to 20 percent above average.
Green buildings are cost-effective: The cost per square foot for buildings seeking LEED certification falls into the exisitng range of costs for buildings not seeking LEED certification. An upfront investment of 2% in green building design, on average, results in life cycle savings of 20% of the total construction costs-more than 10 times the initial investment.
Green buildings can increase rental rates: a 2008 CoStar Group study found that green buildings outperform their non-green peer assets in key areas such as occupancy, sale prices and rental rates-sometimes by wide margins.

Why Commercial Building TENANTS Choose Green:

Green buildings mean happier employees anc occupants: green buildings are designed to have healthier, cleaner indoor environments, which mean health benefits for occupants.
Green buildings reap public relations and community benefits; being a good neighbor is good not just for building users, but for the larger community. Green buildings fit right in with this message.
Green buildings can have lower operating costs: green buildings typically cost less top operate and maintain. There are also tax benefits and incentives available for green buildings and green building strategies.
Green buildings provide immediate and measurable results: benchmarking energy and water use is a critical tactic that is saving companies millions of dollars, year over year, simply by reducing costs through saved energy,w ater and other resources.
Green buildings save energy: Reducing energy consumption has gone from being a "good idea" to a business necessity. It's not just that energy conservation has a positive life-cycle cost impact, but also that it offers a direct reduction in an organization's carbon footprint.

Find testimonials, facts and statistics to help you make the case for green buildings! Usgbc.org/business

What Millennials Want in a New Home

2011-04-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the next wave of home buyers — it’s going to be a whopper. The Millennials, that demographic group also known as Generation Y or the Echo Boomers, number 80.8 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Accounting for immigration, the Bureau estimates that Millennials could number 92.9 million by 2025.

Millennials are challenging for home builders because they’re hard to define. The youngest are teenagers, the oldest are in their early 30s. Some want an unfettered, hip, urban lifestyle while others are looking for a more traditional home in which to raise a family. In short, there is no one buyer profile for this generation.

Take, for instance, Jerry Gloss’ children. The co-principal of KGA Studio Architects (previously known as Knudson Gloss Architects) in Louisville, Colo., has a 22-year-old and a 28-year-old. “The youngest is going, ‘Man, I’d love to live in a loft near downtown and be able to walk to the art gallery and the local beer joint,’” Gloss says. “The one who’s 28 has had a career for four or five years and is already talking about marriage and kids.”

Younger Millennials are more attracted to rental housing than for-sale housing, partly because of their youth and partly because mortgage financing is so difficult to obtain.

“Also, they’re not in a place where they should buy because most of them don’t know where they’re going to be five to seven years from now,” says John McIlwain, senior resident fellow for the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.

Older Millennials (the married-with-children segment) are the most likely to buy townhomes or detached homes. However, they comprise only a small percentage of Generation Y, says market analyst Todd Zimmerman, co-managing director of Zimmerman/Volk Associates in Clinton, N.J. “The rest of the Millennials have seen their older siblings, parents, and friends burned, so the bloom is really off the rose,” Zimmerman says. “And whether they will return to homeownership in the way that predecessor generations did is anyone’s guess.”

He emphasizes that Millennials don’t want a suburban existence that makes them totally dependent on the automobile, like their Boomer parents. “Neighborhood is first — a walkable neighborhood. They will not compromise about that.” They’re also seeking authenticity, informal layouts, and space that functions well, not just square footage for its own sake. And they’re very much into cooking as entertainment (cooking outdoors is part of that trend).

But in some ways, Millennials and Baby Boomers are alike. “Boomers and Millennials are both at a life stage — empty nesters and just leaving the nest — where they value community for social and cultural interaction,” Zimmerman says. Like the Boomers did, Millennials are choosing to marry and have children late in life, though Millennials are delaying those events even longer. Rest assured, though, when this generation is ready to buy, they will have a tremendous impact on the housing market.

Practicality wins

Compared to earlier generations, older Millennials are more pragmatic about their housing needs, says Vance Graham of Bassenian Lagoni Architects, Newport Beach, Calif. “The death of the living room has pretty much been announced,” says Graham. “Everyone is moving to the great room.” There is still demand for both informal and formal dining spaces, but the formal dining room must have some flexibility. “It could turn into a den, for instance, so its position in the home needs to work in multiple fashions,” he says.

The mudroom has seen a rebirth of sorts, Graham says. “It has different personalities,” says Graham. “It can be a home management space, a storage area for bulk items, or a true mudroom — a transition from outdoor activities into the house.” Second-floor bonus rooms are also making a comeback. “In terms of square footage, it takes the place of the living room. You’ve got the great room downstairs for family gatherings and a play area for the kids upstairs,” he says. In homes that are less than 2,200 square feet, Graham says the bonus room may become an optional bedroom or game room, depending on the buyer.

by Professional Builder, March 2011
Susan Bady, Contributing Editor

Next Generation (Y) of Living!

2011-04-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

What's your dream house? A marble manse stuffed with art? A swinging pad where the stereo's always thumping and the hot tub's always bubbling? A clean, well-lighted place … that also has a Viking range and a Sub-Zero fridge?

Your answer says a lot about your values and attitudes -- and may have a lot to do with when you were born. So say the authors of a new study of 1,000 home owners nationwide. The market research company GfK Roper Reports asked Americans to prioritize the amenities they'd have in their dream home -- not necessarily amenities they already have, or will have in their next home. The different responses, from baby boomers through first-time generation-Y buyers, reflect how different features appeal to different ages and also how tastes have shifted over time.

"I think what the study reveals is very different value sets among the generations," says Kathy Sheehan, senior vice president for GfK Roper Reports, which surveys the American consumer for Fortune 500 companies.

Definite patterns emerge from the survey data, Sheehan says, and you can glean some potentially important insights -- especially if you're considering pre-sale renovations. But first, here's a review of the survey results:

Boomer dream homes: the picture of success
Baby boomers, those born 1946 to 1964, rank a state-of-the-art kitchen No. 1 on their list of must-haves, with walk-in closets, whirlpool baths, fireplaces and swimming pools rounding out the top five. They also rank a workshop/hobby studio highly. (You can see a full list of each generation's top 10 below.)

What's your home worth?
Sheehan explains: As they're becoming so-called "empty nesters," boomers think about having a private retreat that's as much gallery as home. They waited until later in life to have a grand home, and now they generally want to flaunt its many niceties -- a home where they can age (extremely) gracefully. "It's about the show," she says, with amenities such as a grand kitchen and places to display art. In a nutshell, the boomer home says, "I've made it."

Generation X: family-focused informality
Those born roughly between 1965 and 1978 also place a high priority on a fine kitchen and on amenities like large walk-in closets. As these sons and daughters of baby boomers age, their aspirations for dream houses are now dovetailing with those of their parents, says Sheehan. The reason? This generation has moved into child-rearing age, says Sheehan, and now "want stuff that speaks to organization." Their buzzword: family.

"Gen X-ers are at childbearing age," Sheehan says. "That means that Gen-X homes are about the family center. They are looking for things that help them organize and eradicate clutter and chaos."

But Gen X-ers are notably different from boomers, too, says Sheehan. For one thing, "Gen X-ers have different attitudes about family and disciplining their children." Those different attitudes show themselves not only in how these former slackers prioritize their dream amenities, but also in how little they like the formality of boomer homes; they want a casual home, says Sheehan.

They're also much more in tune to style and design, and know exactly what they want in a home -- and are less inclined to settle for less, she says.

Generation Y: Let the good times roll
Gen Y-ers, those born after 1978 to about 1995, want a home that hollers "entertain me." Top-10 priorities include a whirlpool bath, sauna/steam room and entertainment center. "All of these things are about fun," says Sheehan.

That might explain why gardens and workshops don't make an appearance on the Gen-Y list.

And they're clearly not yet worried about accommodating children. This generation is emerging socially, and wants amenities that enhance that aspect of its life. So instead of a place to hunker down, Gen-Y homeowners "might be more interested in the home as a social hub," says Sheehan.

Technology is also second-nature to this generation. They're completely wired. So a Gen-Y home, more than any other, will practically hum with electronics.

Some common ground:

So, how immutable are these traits, anyway? Observers say attitudes about homes do change as people enter different stages of their lives: Witness the Gen X-ers who want high-end kitchens now that they're nesting, just like their boomer parents before them.

But the study turned up somewhat unexpected results, too. For Gen X-ers, "It's a little more surprising that their values seem to be staying with them as they age," says Sheehan, mentioning attitudes such as informality. "There might be life-stage changes, but the values will remain consistent." Another is the Gen Y embrace of technology. That shouldn't be expected to dissipate, either, she says.

Perhaps most interesting to home owners renovating with an eye toward selling their home are the features the generations agreed were important. Walk-in closets made an appearance in the top three on all three generation's lists, for example. And those state-of-the art kitchens ranked No. 1 for both boomers and Gen X-ers -- and made a not-so-shabby appearance at No. 6 for the Gen-Y set. Other features cracking the top five for all three generations:

Whirlpool baths
Swimming pools
Fireplaces

By Christopher Solomon of MSN Real Estate

Tips on Building on Small Lots

2011-03-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

With the reduction of lot sizes and associated reduction in road frontage widths, particular attention needs to be given to the location of services and infrastructure to avoid conflicts and unnecessary costs and to simplify construction. This practice note provides some guidance to avoid some common traps in detailing for the provision of services and infrastructure to small lots. Services within lots Avoid locating sewer and roofwater mains along zero lot line boundaries Avoid locating sewer and roofwater mains within corner lots The preferred location for sewer and roofwater mains is within larger lots

Services and infrastructure external to lots Stormwater »» Locate stormwater gully inlets in the middle of lots, preferably larger lots »» Avoid small lots below large drainage catchments

Water meters »» Special attention is required to the location of water meters (and associated conduits) to avoid clashes with driveways for zero lot line lots

Power and communications »» Special attention is required to the location of power supply pillars and communications pits to avoid clashes with driveways for zero lot line lots »» Power supply authority required minimum clearances to power supply pillars should be accommodated

Sewer »» Special attention is required to the location of sewer manholes to avoid clashes with driveways for zero lot line lots (this is assisted by observing the recommendation above to locate sewer mains within larger lots where possible

Pad Mounted Transformers »» Plan for the location of pad mounted transformers well in advance and avoid visually intrusive locations such as parks and open space, other than edges »» Avoid locations along view lines »» If locations within lots cannot be avoided, locate within larger lots

Telstra CMux »» CMux are usually located within road reserve, however, as with power transformers, plan for their location well in advance and avoid visually intrusive locations such as parks and open space, other than edges »» Avoid locations along view lines

Access

Driveway locations at roundabouts and speed control devices »» Driveway locations at roundabouts and speed control devices require particular attention to ensure safe and convenient access to lots »» Speed control devices should be located such that they are clear of driveway locations or small lots. If this cannot be avoided, driveways should be constructed as part of the subdivision civil works in locations design to achieve the outcomes referred to above

Rear lanes »» Where possible, avoid locating utility services within laneways »» Where utility services within laneways cannot be avoided, they will generally be required to be located within an unpaved section of laneway along the edge of the trafficable surface

Common trenching Common trenching, or shared service allocation, involves the provision of a number of services within one trench or service allocation area. The advantages of common trenching include: »» elimination of a number of single trenches, each with its own construction, settlement and reinstatement problems »» accurate location of services for possible repair or maintenance »» reduced verge width »» increased verge width available for tree planting and/or landscaping »» less conflict between services as depth relativities are known »» more efficient use of construction equipment »» reduced verge and footpath disturbance for earlier establishment

Overland Flow

Stormwater overland flow can be particularly problematic for small lots and requires particular attention. »» Avoid small lots across the downhill end of a steep block »» Avoid cutting and retaining on the uphill side of lots sloping steeply (greater than one in eight) to the street, particularly where side slope is present as this generally results in diversion and concentration of overland flow along fencelines to a point of weakness »» Identify any natural depressions in the landform and ensure overland flow to and within these is managed to avoid nuisance to downstream properties

HELP USA Groundbreaking!

2011-02-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Karen Higgins
A&E Communications, Inc.
610-831-5723
khiggins@aandecomm.com

Del-Sano Breaks Ground for HELP Genesis Urban Renewal Project in Newark, N.J.

Environmentally-friendly, High Performance, Affordable Housing Complex
Offers 56 Spacious Units to Residents of the South Ward

Union, N.J. – February 22, 2011 – Del-Sano Contracting Corporation, a general contracting, design/build and construction management services firm, celebrated the groundbreaking of the HELP USA Genesis II Urban Renewal Project, also known as the Newark Clinton Avenue Homes, on Friday, February 18. Once completed, the out of the ground building construction will pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification and will provide affordable housing at the 634 Clinton Avenue, Newark, N.J address. In the groundbreaking ceremony held at the site, numerous dignitaries, including Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, participated in the official commencement of the project.

“HELP USA is fulfilling a commitment to provide essential housing and living opportunities for low income and veteran families in the South Ward of Newark. Residents who qualify to live at the new complex will have a safe living environment that is energy efficient and a wholesome community within the neighborhood where they are most familiar,” said Angelo Del Russo, CEO of Del-Sano. “We are extremely proud to be the general contractor for this project and to be a team member with HELP USA and Kramer Marks Architects in fulfilling a mission that will ensure quality housing and services to such a worthy inner city. This is a great opportunity for us all to positively enable local residents and provide the ability to remain independent as their lives evolve.”

“Help USA is proud to be leading another private public partnership in Newark’s South Ward,” said Laurence Belinsky, president and CEO of HELP USA. “The project will not only be a LEED- Certified Gold or Platinum ‘green building,’ but will also include special units and support services for our nation’s veterans who have fallen on hard times. We welcome aboard Del-Sano to our 25-year tradition of building better lives for homeless and impoverished Americans.”
-more-
HELP USA, an organization providing housing and the supportive services for the homeless and people in need, created the Genesis model in 1992 in which it provides a permanent service-enriched housing model for formerly homeless, low income and special needs households.

The Genesis II Urban Renewal project will be a mid-rise, multi-family, four-story, 56-unit residential building. The residents will qualify as low income individuals and families as well as disabled veterans. The LEED guided design will be universal and include one, two and three bedroom rental units; a community room; offices; a lounge; an exercise room; a children’s playroom; a computer room; and a laundry room for the residents. It also includes numerous high performance building and sustainable features, indoor air quality design, low emissions products and building materials, a vegetative green roof with a hardscaped terrace, and indoor parking garage.

The architect on the project is Kramer Marks Architects of Ambler, Pa. and the structural and site engineers are Betzwood Associates PC of Phoenixville, Pa. and Maser Consulting P.A. of Red Bank, N.J., respectively.

“HELP USA is a long-standing client of our firm and needed a contractor that had experience working in Newark, on affordable housing projects and with the New Jersey HFMA,” explained George Marks, owner of Kramer Marks Architects. “Del-Sano met those criteria and was able to work with us under a tight timeframe. We look forward to working with Del-Sano and anticipate the same level of professionalism that Del-Sano provided during the job costing and budget phase to continue during the construction phase of the project.”

About Del-Sano
Del-Sano Contracting Corporation is a leading provider of high quality general contracting construction; construction management and design build services. With a strong attention to detail, Del-Sano has been effectively providing its services to a wide array of clients since 1975. The company has been ranked by New York Construction magazine among the top general contractors in New Jersey. Headquartered in Union, N.J., the Del-Sano management team has built and managed projects for organizations in the healthcare, housing (i.e. affordable, special needs and aging communities), and institutional, recreational, educational, corporate, and retail industries. Del-Sano is a member of the United States Green Building Council and is committed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for high performance buildings and sustainable construction. For more information on Del-Sano, visit www.delsano.com.

VERY Tall Building!

2011-01-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

Frame's Monitoring Program Confirms Design Assumption
by Nadine M. Post for ENR.com

An extensive program to survey and monitor the structural behavior and dynamic responses of the world’s tallest structure—the 828-meter Burj Khalifa in Dubai—has done more than validate the structural engineer’s design concepts. It could help improve future supertowers, says the keeper of the program. The monitoring system, which includes myriad sensors, will become a model for assessing critical and essential facilities, predicts Ahmad Abdelrazaq, an executive vice president of Samsung C&T Corp., Seoul, the burj’s lead builder.

The program “has given us information that will improve design for tall buildings and hopefully improve future structural systems [that use] new and more advanced materials,” says Abdelrazaq, a former structural engineer in the Chicago office of the burj’s design architect-engineer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It will also give the owner information on the structural behavior under environmental conditions. That will allow better decisions about building operations, he adds.
Based on the behavior under lateral loads of the burj, a mostly concrete structure with a steel pinnacle, Abdelrazaq predicts that in generations to come, designers will be able to provide better-performing tall buildings that use less framing material.

The engineer also expects survey and monitoring programs to, over time, become an integral part of building design and “intelligent” building management systems, thanks to advances in computer technologies, fiber optic sensors, nanotechnology, dynamic monitoring devices, new global positioning system technologies and wireless monitoring techniques.
Dennis C.K. Poon, a managing principal of Thornton Tomasetti, New York City, which designed the world’s second-tallest building, the 508-m Taipei 101, agrees that the information from the burj’s program is beneficial to serve as a good reference for design criteria or assumptions for supertower design.
But, he says owners are often reluctant to install monitoring systems because of initial and operating costs. They are also often reluctant to share data, says Poon.
Measurements to date show the burj performing better than predicted for all building systems, at least during low-amplitude wind and seismic events, says Abdelrazaq. “We will continue monitoring all building components and examine all the assumptions made for analysis, design and construction for years to come.” He says performance data will be available to the design community.
During construction, the program gave immediate feedback regarding material strength, durability, elastic modulus, creep and shrinkage characteristics, total strain as a function of time, heat of hydration, cooling of the massive members and more. Post-construction data and details are also available on creep, shrinkage and foundation stiffness and dissipation of loads into the foundation system. This is important because the data could impact actual dynamic building stiffness and overall properties that must be considered in supertall buildings, says Abdelrazaq.
The program also gives feedback on tower acceleration since the completion of the building, which is currently being correlated to the predicted acceleration. This will allow an examination of basic assumptions made in wind tunnel tests and confirm whether present practice needs reexamination, says Abdelrazaq.
Assumptions during design about vortex shedding and damping under different wind and seismic events have been validated by the monitoring project. Feedback on the performance of the building’s steel pinnacle is also important to future design assumptions, especially regarding fatigue, says the engineer.
Calling the program “impressive,” John D. Hooper, a principal of structural firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates, Seattle, says it is not clear how the results will be directly applicable to other supertall buildings, given the burj’s unique configuration, height, structure and construction sequence. “The program’s apparent success does suggest that these efforts are valuable and should be considered for tall and unique structures,” he adds.

"See the Forest for the Trees" Wood use for institutional and commercial buildings

2010-11-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

See here for article!

By Tomo Tsuda, PE
November 2010, The Construction Specifier

Green Affordable Housing is Going Mainstream

2010-11-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

Just the Basics Once the Exception, Green Affordable Housing is Going Mainstream

Future development phases, expected to begin in a year or two, will build 1,000 units of mixed-income housing with 80 percent affordable.

Focusing on the Basics

As developers gain experience building green, many are adopting standard packages of green features. “It’s mainly nuts and bolts things like high efficiency boilers, good construction to make buildings air tight, balanced ventilation systems, proper lighting levels and lighting controls and low-flow plumbing fixtures,” explains Ryan Merkin, senior project manager, Steven Winter Associates, New York.

“The basics are what really make the most significant differences in building performance,” Stein says. “It’s the little things that add up to significant energy savings for a building,”

Courtlandt Corners I and II, a 423,000-sq.-ft. development with 323 apartments in four buildings on East 161st Street in the Bronx, takes this basic approach to sustainability. The project, designed by Dattner, features high performance building envelops, energy efficient HVAC systems, Energy Star appliances and lighting, apartments sealed for ventilation tightness and low flow plumbing fixtures. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2010.

Courtlandt’s developer, the Phipps Houses Group, New York, also enlisted Dattner to design a companion project called Courtlandt Crescent with similar sustainable features. The project will consist of two buildings housing 217 apartments and 10,000-sq.-ft. of community space. Construction is expected to start in July 2011.

Over the past 10 years developer Les Bluestone, cofounder of Huntington, N.Y.-based Blue Sea Development, has refined a set of methods and features now incorporated into all his affordable projects. He focuses on the core and shell, making sure the building is well insulated and sealed, and indoor air quality.

Instead of a central ventilation system Bluestone air seals and ventilates each apartment separately with a continuously running fan that “uses less energy than a light bulb. “Trickle vents at the windows guarantee a steady supply of fresh air. Low-VOC materials help ensure good indoor air quality.

This spring Bluestone completed the $15.3 million General Colin L. Powell Apartments in the South Bronx. The 7-story, 60,000-sq-ft building with 50 affordable coops uses 43 percent less energy than a comparable building and attained LEED Platinum and NYSERDA MPP certifications.

Bluestone, who is not afraid of trying new ideas, installed two, five kw micro co-generation units in the building that produce 100% of the project’s domestic hot water plus electricity for the common areas. Going forward, micro co-gen units will be installed in all his projects based on the system’s payback and efficiency.

Four blocks north Blue Sea partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build Prospect Macy, an affordable coop. The building includes a co-generation unit, a green roof, fitness room and landscaped play yard. Completion is slated for the end of 2010.

Construction will start in 2011 on an 8-story, 120-unit affordable rental project in Morrisania in the Bronx. This Blue Sea project features a 10,000-sq-ft rooftop greenhouse that will house an urban farm growing produce hydroponically for local distribution. The project will employ panelized wall systems and prefabricated bathroom modules to speed construction.

Green Innovations

Other innovative developers include the Richmond Group, which is using modular construction to build Park Terrace, a 4-story, 49-unit rental building for seniors in Yonkers, N.Y. The project, slated for completion in spring 2001, is seeking LEED Silver certification.

The modular housing units, constructed by Capsys Corporation at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, feature low emitting materials and finishes, Energy Star appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures. The indoor assembly process reduces construction waste and creates very air-tight modules, Cirillo explains. The modules will be trucked to the site this fall and placed on completed foundations.

The Bluestone Organization, Fresh Meadows, N.Y., employed insulated concrete forms (ICF) to construct the wall system of The Andrew, a 50-unit affordable apartment building in Rego Park, Queens. ICF walls are formed by pouring concrete between two, 2.5-in polystyrene panels tied together with plastic or steel ties. The super insulated walls are very airtight with little thermal breaks, Merkin explains.

The developer is also using the wall system to construct the Calverts, six multi-family buildings in Harlem. The buildings, ranging in height from 4- to 8-stories, are seeking Energy Star and LEED certification. The projects are slated for completion between February and July 2011.

In March construction started on Via Verde, a $99 million complex in the South Bronx. The project developed by Phipps Houses and Jonathan Rose Companies, in partnership with Dattner Architects and Grimshaw Architects, is designed to achieve LEED Gold designation. Lettire is the project’s general contractor.

The 288,000-sq.-ft. development will create 222 units in three buildings; a 20-story tower at the north end, a 6-13-story mid-rise building in the middle and townhouses to the south, organized around a central courtyard. The buildings step down along the length of the site creating a series of green roofs. Solar panels will cover the vertical walls of the steps. The highly insulated buildings are clad in a rain screen, which provides for a more water tight envelope for the building, Stein says.

November 1, 2010
By Diane Greer, New York Construction

Traffic causes delays, lost productivity for N.J. construction firms

2010-06-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 11, 2010 01:50 PM By Evelyn Lee Evelyn Lee Evelyn Lee covers real estate, economic development and the environment for NJBIZ. She has been a staff reporter here since 2006.

Traffic congestion, and the resulting delays, are costing the nation’s construction firms some $23 billion a year — and New Jersey companies, in some ways, are more affected than their counterparts in other states, according to a new analysis released Thursday by the Associated General Contractors of America, in Washington, D.C.

New Jersey mirrored the nation in that 93 percent of the firms that were surveyed reported that traffic congestion and shipping unreliability had an impact on their operations — but 50 percent of local companies characterized that impact as “significant,” compared to only 22 percent nationally. Nearly 1,200 construction firms participated in the survey, including 25 from the Garden State.

Twenty-one percent of local general contractors, moreover, said that their cost of doing business increased by 11 percent or more because of delays, wasted fuel and other traffic impacts, while only 9 percent of firms nationally said the same, according to the survey results.

Traffic delays and congestion have lead to more than 30 hours per worker per year of lost productivity for 21 percent of New Jersey companies, about level with the national average, the survey said. Meanwhile, 64 percent of survey respondents said they had made changes to schedules or business operations because of traffic congestion and unreliable shipping schedules.

For example, Del-Sano Contracting Corp., a Union-based general contractor, has implemented practices to adjust to traffic congestion near some construction sites, particularly those in the state’s urban areas.

The firm’s employees generally get to work sites early in the morning and on time, said Angelo Del Russo, the company’s president. But “if the traffic has mounted up and stalled, it could hold things up for deliveries” of construction materials, and in turn add overtime to the project, he said.

“There’s a planning process that goes on,” Del Russo said. “What we try to do is just anticipate ahead of time what the traffic patterns are around our particular sites.” The company will post signage a day or two before the start of construction to alert residents about the project in the area.

Also, “there is a need to have professional help from the local police department to keep [traffic] moving,” he said. For example, on one recent project in Union City, police had traffic patterns set up to allow 25 trucks delivering concrete to get in and out of the site as quickly as possible.

“We’ve taken these measures, and it lessens the impact” of traffic, he said.

Go to actual link:
http://www.njbiz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=82244:report-traffic-causes-delays-lost-productivity-for-nj-construction-firms&catid=34:daily-news&Itemid=109

CEO Angelo Del Russo Speaks at Crane's Mill Ribbon Cutting

2010-05-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

CEO of DelSano Contracting speaks at the ribbon cutting of the completed Crane's Mill Project, in New Jersey.

Angelo Del Russo followed his passion for construction early in his career. Energized by his desire to create a construction company devoted to quality and craftsmanship, Mr. Del Russo incorporated Del-Sano Contracting in 1975. Today, he proudly oversees a company that regularly ranks as one of the top performers in the New York/New Jersey metro area. Mr. Del Russo graduated from The New Jersey Institute of Technology with a degree in civil engineering technology. He has served as Secretary and Treasurer of E.L.A Associates, published numerous industry articles, and is a member of several trade and business associations including the United States Green Builders Council.

Crane's Mill
Phase II will complete the residential development of the campus with the addition of 70 Residential apartments with 47 underground parking spaces and 10 cottages. The project is planned to consist of a two story, (118,550 sq ft) structure with underground parking to be built and directly linked to the existing central facility building; completing the campus development. Ten cottages with attached garages (23,900 sq ft) are also included in Phase II.

2009-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Del-Sano Contracting Corp. Honored with New York Construction's'Best of 2009' Award for Garden Street Lofts
September 21, 2009, Hoboken, NJ - New York Construction has awarded Del-Sano Contracting Corp. (http://www.delsano.com/) an Award of Merit in the Green Building category as part of its "Best of 2009 Awards" for Garden Street Lofts (http://www.gardenstreetlofts.com/). Garden Street Lofts is a luxury residential building in Hoboken, New Jersey. Del-Sano served as the general contractor for the $16.8-million redevelopment project, which was completed in February 2009.
New York Construction's "Best of Awards" is an annual awards program dedicated to honoring the region's best projects and the companies that design and build them. Award criteria included Teamwork and Project Management, Safety, Innovation, Contribution to the Community or Industry, Overcoming Unique or Difficult Challenges, Construction Quality and Craftsmanship, and Function and Aesthetic Quality of the Design.
Garden Street Lofts was redeveloped from an existing 42,888-square-foot, structural steel, concrete and masonry, former coconut processing and storage warehouse that was erected in 1919. Del-Sano built a new 35,054-square-foot, seven-story structural steel and concrete addition with gauged metal-perimeter wall framing and a Zinc rain screen façade. The addition rises above and is linked to the restored cast-in-place concrete building at the original fifth floor roof level. The mixed-use complex includes 30-luxuriously appointed one-, two-, and three-bedroom, loft-style condominiums. Also, at ground level there is a total 7,500 square feet of open floor plan that is suited for prime retail space facing 14th and Garden Streets.
The Garden Street Lofts is awaiting certification as the first Silver LEED luxury residential hi-rise development in New Jersey. The building uses 24% less energy in heating cooling and lighting, as well as 20% less water than a traditional building, and 100% of its electrical power is generated from wind and other renewable resources.
In addition to the many sustainable and energy efficient elements of the building, Del-Sano's handling of the construction process itself, as well as the worksite were noteworthy. "The challenges of bringing this project to life were many, not the least of which was how to preserve, recycle and transform architectural history by converting the Hostess coconut-processing warehouse into a state-of-the-art, high performance 'green' building while initiating creative cost containment measures," explained Angelo Del Russo, Founder and CEO of Del-Sano Contracting.
"Preserving an old structure while wrapping a new structure around and above it is no easy task. Another preservation challenge was to make certain the integrity of the walls and structure remained intact for restoration and rehabilitation," noted Del- Russo. "The restriction of the existing lot size and position also presented challenges, particularly for structural design and building methods. But ultimately, we were able to work around these challenges, afford the client some significant cost savings through our building methodologies, and deliver a beautiful building to the client that stands as a model for sustainable residential development in New Jersey."
Project team members were:
Architect: Sharples Holden Pasquarelli Architects, New York, NY
MEPS Engineer: Buro Happold, New York, NY
Project Financing: TD Bank, Ramsey, NJ
Marketing Agent: Hudson Place Realty, Hoboken, NJ
LEED Commissioning Agent, Dome-Tech Group, Edison, NJ
About Bijou PropertiesGarden Street Lofts was developed by Bijou Properties (http://www.bijouproperties.com/), which has already received recognition for successfully redeveloping urban properties and for the adaptive re-use of a former industrial and warehouse building along the Hudson River waterfront. The company is committed to incorporating sustainable design and construction into its projects.
About Del-Sano Contracting Corp. Del-Sano Contracting Corp. (http://www.delsano.com/), a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is a skilled and qualified builder of LEED-registered projects. The firm is committed to setting new standards for sustainable development through ongoing education and training, responsible use of natural resources, and the integration of principles of sustainable development in its day-to-day activities and client projects.
Established in 1975, Del-Sano provides full-service, commercial general construction and construction management services to a distinguished and diverse client base located throughout the New York metropolitan area. The firm, which ranks among the 25 largest general contractors in New Jersey, is engaged in the construction and development of commercial, institutional, retail, multifamily (including senior, affordable and luxury housing) high-rise, multi-level and framed structures, as well as recreational facilities and historic renovation projects.

Del-Sano Completes Construction of $16.7M Kennedy Tower II in West New York, NJ, Meeting or Exceeding New Jersey Affordable Green Program Standards

2009-07-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

07.27.2009 – West New York, NJ – Del-Sano Contracting Corp. (www.delsano.com) has completed new construction of Kennedy Tower II in West New York, New Jersey. Kennedy Tower II is an 11-story, senior independent living, affordable housing community consisting of 71 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 82 parking spaces, 76 of which are located in structured parking facilities. Del-Sano served as the general contractor for the $16,735,000 million project, which began in July 2008. The senior housing property was ready for occupancy on July 1, 2009. The project is owned by West New York Urban Renewal II. The federally subsidized project was funded by HMFA (Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.Located on 62nd street, Kennedy Tower II is adjacent to the original Kennedy Tower, which was constructed in 1968, and is located on 62nd street.

The property offers proximity to bus routes and features safe shelters for commuters. Kennedy Tower II is built to New Jersey Affordable Green Program standards, utilizing daylight lighting where possible, Energy Star appliances, heating units, and water saver plumbing fixtures and high efficiency elevators. There is high recycle content in the flooring material, backfill material, and concrete used in the building. All plantings are drought resistant and indigenous to the area. During construction, 80% of the construction waste was recycled. According to Del-Sano Contracting Founder and CEO Angelo Del Russo, “Both West New York Urban Renewal II and Del-Sano shared a commitment to safe, clean, accessible, energy efficient and affordable housing throughout this project. Kennedy Tower II stands as a fine example of affordable housing that has both the needs of independent senior residents and the environment at its core, and we were thrilled to have been associated with this project.”About Del-SanoDel-Sano Contracting Corp, a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is a skilled and qualified builder of LEED-registered projects.

The firm is committed to setting new standards for sustainable development through ongoing education and training, responsible use of natural resources, and the integration of principles of sustainable development in its day-to-day activities and client projects.Established in 1975, Del-Sano provides full-service, commercial general construction and construction management services to a distinguished and diverse client base located throughout the New York metropolitan area. The firm, which ranks among the 25 largest general contractors in New Jersey, is engaged in the construction and development of commercial, institutional, retail, multifamily (including senior, affordable and luxury housing) high-rise, multi-level and framed structures, as well as recreational facilities and historic renovation projects.

Del-Sano Gives Back-Now MOVE!

2009-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

It is important to the people at Del-Sano Contracting to give back to something that they are passionate about, besides giving back to the Matheny School for Disabled Children or the Market Street Mission house during the holidays, Del-Sano would like to give to the "We're on the MOVE to End Alzheimer's" ...Every 70 seconds one person is diagnosed with the disease..we must find a cure!! With your help we can make a difference!!! Please visit our page if you would like to make a donation!! It is greatly appreciated!! https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=302619&supid=261814197

NEW PROJECT..Horizon Heights!!!!!!!

2009-07-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine Visits Horizon Heights in West New York/Union City, Announces State Funding for Affordable Housing Projects

-- Del-Sano Contracting to Break Ground on Horizon Heights, One of the Funded Projects,
in Fall 2009 --

June 15, 2009, (Union City/West New York, NJ) – Pictured left to right: Angelo Del Russo, Founder and CEO, Del-Sano Contracting; Larry Regan, President, Regan Development Corporation; Joseph Doria, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner; Timothy Doherty, ED, Project Freedom Inc.; New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine; and Debra Urban, Director of Tax Credit Services, State of New Jersey.

On May 28, 2009, Governor Jon Corzine and New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria, visited the site of Horizon Heights, a planned affordable housing property that straddles West New York and Union City, New Jersey. Corzine and Doria were on hand to announce the construction of 14 new affordable housing projects across the state to be built with the help of federal tax credits, including Horizon Heights. Del-Sano Contracting Corp. will serve as the property’s general construction contractor. Over the last decade, Regan Development, the project owner, and Del-Sano Contracting have developed, renovated or built jointly 300 units. Construction will be completed and occupancy expected in early fall 2010.

Specifically, Horizon Heights will be comprised of 52 one-, two- and three-bedroom units of workforce affordable rental housing, as well as housing for individuals and families with special needs. The five-story building will offer parking and retail on the first floor, additional parking on a sub-floor, and four residential stories above. All units would be affordable to families earning less than 60% of Hudson County median income. Eight of those units will be designated for individuals or families with developmental disabilities, and six units would be set aside for independent living residents with special needs. The development will utilize the latest in high performance building technologies and will be participating in the New Jersey Green Homes’ Program, as well as the New Jersey Energy Star Program.

Horizon Heights, which will be developed on the site of a former warehouse, is located in an urban, mixed-use neighborhood with housing, commercial and light industrial uses nearby. Retail, public transportation, and services are all within walking distance of the property.

The project architect is Jose Carballo, AIA, of Jose Carballo Architecture PC, based in Hackensack, NJ.

2009-05-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Garden Street Lofts, Hoboken, NJ- Ribbon Cutting April 24, 2009

Remarks of Sen. Menendez
Green Building Ribbon Cutting
24 April 2009

Thank you very much. It’s great to be here today, for a very fitting celebration of Arbor Day and of New Jersey innovation.

This building is an answer to three of the great crises we face right now: the crisis in the U.S. economy, the crisis of our insecure energy supply and the crisis of global warming.

Building green is smart business and a smart way to build the 21st century economy.
It recognizes that if we’re going to get serious about creating a sustainable economy and a sustainable environment for our children and grandchildren, we can’t just continue with building as usual—we have to build to a higher standard.

It’s time to face reality: global warming is closing in on us. We can either fight it now or wait for it to knock on our door and be powerless to stop the terrible consequences.

I believe that a nation that won two world wars, cured diseases once thought incurable and launched industrial and technological revolutions that shook the globe is great enough to face up to that challenge and meet it. And this building is a good chunk of proof.

Today, cutting a ribbon means cutting emissions. Not only that, what we have here today is proof that fighting climate change and bringing down energy costs can be a winning proposition for our economy.

If anyone wants to know what green jobs look like, they should look here. We’ve seen jobs created in all the construction trades who took part in this achievement. We’ve seen jobs created for those who manufactured the renewable and recycled materials they used. We’ve seen jobs created for the environmental engineers and designers who planned it.

The project’s green roots go even deeper. The building draws electricity from the grid in a state that produces enough solar energy to power almost 60,000 homes.[1]

And I don’t think it’s any accident that it was built in a city with some of the best access to public transportation in the nation—a city that has seen that access increase with the Hudson-Bergen light rail that I’ve supported in Congress.

So building green is about more than just a single high-rise, it’s the idea of building entire communities that can develop sustainably— getting rid of smog so our lungs can breath, getting rid of traffic congestion so our economy can advance, ending our dependence on foreign oil so we create jobs that can’t be sent overseas.

Yes, this building will save its tenants money on their power bill right away. But it will also help preserve our air and water for the future generations who move in.

The hardworking individuals who built this building can tell their children and grandchildren with pride that they worked on the first green high-rise in the Garden State. And I know we all hope that it will just be the first of many.

Garden Street Lofts Deliver in Hoboken

2009-03-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Garden Street Lofts Delivers in Hoboken
Del-Sano, Bijou Complete $16.8M Redevelopment, Aim for LEED Silver
By Andrew Deichler

Del-Sano Contracting Corp. has finished construction on Garden Street Lofts, which is poised to become Hoboken's first LEEDcertified residential building. The $16.8 million project began with a 42,888-square-foot former coconut-processing warehouse at 158 14th St. Del-Sano built a
seven story, 35,054-square-foot addition, which is linked to the original facility at the fifth floor level. Garden Street Lofts includes 30 residential condominiums, which are already 50 percent sold, as well as 7,500 square feet of ground floor retail space. The 77,942-square-foot property is in the Hudson Waterfront submarket.
Del-Sano and owner Bijou Properties LLC have put more than two years into the redevelopment, and are aiming for LEED silver certification. "It took years of effort by some of the best and freshest minds in the industry to create a model for sustainable residential development that offers comfort, style and beauty, while being sensitive to the impact on the environment," said Larry Bijou of Bijou Properties. Del-Sano Contracting Corp. is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and specializes in LEED-registered construction projects.
www.delsano.com

NY Daily News Garden Street Lofts Article

2009-03-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Garden Street Lofts
BY Jason Sheftell DAILY NEWS REAL ESTATE CORRESPONDENT
Smith for News
Garden Street Lofts
Handschuh/News
http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/02/20/2009-02-20_garden_street_lofts.html?page=0

As the story goes, when developer Lawrence Bijou petitioned the Hoboken zoning board about variances to transform a 1919 coconut processing plant on 14th and Garden Sts. into a LEED-certified green building with a zinc-clad addition hanging over the top of the existing structure, they looked confused. “Why are you doing all this?” one zoning official asked, making it clear that Hoboken had never seen anything like it. Bijou, a veteran of New York City real estate who moved to New Jersey in 2003 after deciding to make Hoboken the recipient of his vision for green building, made a quick joke, and then said, “Because I have to.”
What he meant, what every developer dead serious about changing the way we live means, is that this is the only way to build if we want to protect our own health and the health of our environment. What Bijou didn’t have to do, but did anyway, was source Ipe wood from Bolivia, bamboo floors from China, find the exact kind of cobblestone to refurbish the street out front, completely restore the coconut plant’s exterior to its original beige brick coloring, and hire one of New York City’s top architecture firms to design the building inside and out. “By now, we should all know that green is the future of building,” says Bijou, who walks prospective buyers around the building himself. “My goal is to actually do it. This is my first project of this magnitude and I wanted the best.” While I’ve heard that from most developers, I haven’t heard it confirmed by most architects. Gregg Pasquarelli of Sharples, Holden and Pasquarelli (SHoP Architects) actually took the job because of Bijou’s vision and integrity. “Every time we came up with something, Larry [Bijou] asked if it could be done better,” says Pasquarelli. “We designed a similar building called the Porterhouse in the Meatpacking District. Repeating styles was not the direction we wanted to go in as a firm. But Larry’s commitment to sustainability and great design made this project different.” Bijou, sitting in the construction trailer across the street from his building, wears sweaters, jeans and construction boots. He’s as honest a person as you could meet. When asked about the Val Cucina custom-made eco-friendly kitchens, Dornbracht faucets imported from Germany, Miele dishwashers, and the air-filtration system pumping clean air into each unit, he half-grimaces. “There’s a downside to doing anything for the first time and wanting it to be really good,” he says. “I just let these architects go, and they just went. I was writing check after check for higher- end product after higher-end product.”

The result is New Jersey’s first LEED-certified silver condominium and already the recipient of a national green award. It’s also one of Hoboken’s most interesting structures. As you approach the 29-unit boutique development from Washington St. to the east, the pale zinc outer shell of the building appears to grab the brick structure in a bite or pinch. Small brown square openings, lined in Ipe wood, peer at you like eyes. These are apartment terraces. Architect Pasquarelli calls them “cocoons.” Wrapped in dark wood, they feel like hunting lodges in the city.
Inside, the apartments in the 42,888-square-foot five-story original building are lofts, with each floor having a one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom. Linked by hallways and the same elevators to the older building, the apartments in the seven-story 35,054-square-foot newer structure are oversized two-bedrooms. Two duplex penthouses on the upper floors have giant terraces with corner hot tubs. “If these apartments were in Tribeca, they would be four times the price,” says Irene Perello, a longtime Hoboken agent with Hudson Place Realty, who has the exclusive on Garden Street Lofts. “We have 1,140-square-foot one-bedrooms for $675,000. I’d put this quality up against any Manhattan project.” If the building has a knock on it, it’s that its back abuts an above-ground parking facility. Buyers don’t mind, says Perello, as back-of-building units sold quickly.
Closings in the building began last month. Vince Visceglia and Caroline Russo spent the second night in the building with their 20-month-old son. They looked all over Hoboken, including brownstones, row houses and larger condominiums, before deciding on Garden Street Lofts.
“Green wasn’t a consideration before we saw this,” says Russo. “Now, it’s part of our lives. The final decision was based on design and finishes, though. Everything feels top-of-the-line.”
Her husband, who had his heart set on living in the suburbs, says the couple’s decision to stay in Hoboken became clear as they understood more about living green. “We can’t protect our son from everything bad that’s in the air,” says Russo, “but here we created a safe haven that is a cutting-edge non-toxic environment.” Today, in front of the building, Hoboken city workers repair cobblestone streets using stone Bijou purchased so the new street matched the old. Inside, technicians from Del-Sano Contracting Corp., a Union, N.J.-based general contracting company, put finishing touches on the lobby and 8,100-square-foot retail space. Bijou Properties, helmed by Bijou with help from Dave Gaber, still seeks a tenant for the space.

“It’s big enough for an Apple store,” says Gaber, a recent NYU-real estate master’s graduate. “If Williamsburg can have one, why shouldn’t we?” Bijou is just getting started in Hoboken. He refurbished a commercial building across the street from Garden Street Lofts, leasing retail to a New York Sports Club, a bank and a pharmacy. He also owns a lot across the street, waiting on financing before building a high-performance green mini-tower with microturbines to ease electrical output, solar panels and 400-car fully-robotic gargage, another New Jersey first.
“We’re working to put a charter school in the tower and generate our own electricity,” he says. “I came to Hoboken because of its proximity to New York, the better views, and the fact everyone who lives here loves this city.” Acquiring land is what Bijou Properties does. Over a one-year period, it acquired more than 10 warehouse properties along Hoboken’s 15th and 16th Sts. Initially wanting to develop these blocks into restoration projects, it sold the land to a national developer. Armed with capital, it completed Garden Street Lofts and bought waterfront property on the Hoboken side of the Hudson. “Originally, I just wanted to restore old buildings and add character to these streets,” says Bijou. “Hoboken is a young city with very intelligent, future-minded people. An investment in green is an investment in their future. They know that and so do we.”

http://www.delsano.com/

From Coconuts to Condominiums

2009-03-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

From Coconuts To Condominiums
Del-Sano Contracting has turned a former coconut storage facility for the Hostess Corporation into luxury condominiums and retail space in Hoboken, NJ.
By Jim Romeo -- Constructioneer

The Coconut Building in Hoboken, NJ, once served as a coconut storage facility for theproduction of Hostess snack cakes. Today, half of the original building has been demolished and the other halfhas been renovated to make way for the recently completed Garden Lofts, a 30-unit luxury
condominium building with 7,500 square feet of retail space on the ground level. The entire projectis Silver LEED certified. The $16,800,000 project was managed by Union, NJ-based Del-Sano Contracting Corporation for Bijou Properties, LLC. It began in November 2006 and incorporated cost-saving measures to keep the project on schedule and on budget. Despite the many challenges of the project, it was completed in December 2008. "The project developer envisioned and desired a LEED-certified Silver accreditation," says Angelo Del Russo, founder and CEO of Del-Sano Contracting. "The construction cost-saving efforts were realized through careful selection of construction means and methods and creative building system constructability within the restrictions of the lot size."
Del Russo explains that the cost savings mostly related to production, including sophisticated
testing methods. "During design development, the construction and design team requested a ...
'Geo Physical In Situ Shear Wave Velocity Test' to determine the seismic class," he explains. "The testing resulted in cost savings in the range of $250,000 for the developer in several structural design systems — not the least of which was the fire suppression system's secondary water source requirements."
The building's lower-level floor elevation was raised to reduce the depth of construction yet
maintain a functional ceiling height and diminish the need to excavate the rock sub grade. This
resulted in cost savings of $175,000. Approximately 50 percent of the Coconut Building was demolished, making way for the renovation and new construction. "The existing Coconut Building structure required surgical demolition of the concrete cast in-place roof and reinforced concrete beams," says Del Russo. "The concrete roof deck, beams and the bearing walls were
poured monolithically together and integrated with the perimeter building walls. The
demolition took place after chipping the concrete deck with multiple pneumatic
jackhammers and diamond saw cutting the reinforced beams from the bearing points.
After the deck was removed, the end-cut reinforced concrete beams were lassoed with
construction-grade safety slings, lifted by crane, and guided safely down to wait
recycling."
Del Russo points out that this careful deconstruction "saved demolition time and
allowed for pulverizing and recycling in mass at the recycling facility. The savings on the overall demolition portion of the project was in the range of $85,000. The procedure was handled meticulously without injury to the workmen or impairing the safety of the pedestrians below."
Because the loading dock of the Coconut Building was positioned between the adjacent St. Louis
building and the Hudson Tea five-story parking structure project, which has yet to be constructed, the project team made the decision to proceed with the demolition of this loading dock prior to starting the parking deck structure.
"The early start would allow for safer crane access and minor infringement on the 14th Street
thoroughfare, as well as limit police protection and labor downtime," explains Del Russo. "Crane
access to the Garden Street pedestrian walkway limited crane downtime and allowed the
demolition to proceed uninterrupted to completion, about four weeks later. The savings to the
project demolition budget was in the tens of thousands."
The perimeter triple wythe masonry walls at the fifth floor level were secured in place by shoring jacks and angles specially designed to maintain the walls' lateral stability. The method allowed the integrity of the wall and structure for restoration and rehabilitation to remain intact. The building façade remained minimally compromised during the demolition phase with little reconstruction needed.
The renovation and new addition posed challenges as well as the demolition. "The new building
addition is attached to the Coconut Building structure and will increase the overall building squarefoot area by 35,054 (square feet)," explains Del Russo. "The addition is a seven-story steel framed structure (with) concrete decks, metal-framed curtain wall and a zinc façade. The new addition will rise seven floors alongside, and with two levels over the top of, the existing structure." Del Russo adds, "The Coconut Building was vacant and clean inside with minimal deterioration of the finishes. The previous owners had left the sprinkler system operational, the electricity on and the heat functioning. The building roof was in reasonable shape to minimize penetration of the elements. The structure did have some stress and time-related cracking of the concrete members."
The garden roof on Garden Lofts will contribute to its Silver LEED certification.
According to Del Russo, the building fenestration was operable and very functional for a vacant
building, and the exterior façade and support members had endured the stress of the environment as well as time deterioration. "The façade was in need of rebuilding and restoration," he says. "The property and walks had endured years with minimal maintenance and were in need of replacement. The building had two freight elevators and both were not operating when the demolition got under way. The basement endured moisture and water levels that required continual pumping. There were numerous sump pumps strategically placed throughout the basement level." The existing building was constructed on spread footings, rock, dense soil, and concrete pier footings, and the basement floor had its share of deterioration and settlement cracking. However, the footing and foundations were surveyed and given a clean bill of health from the project's structural engineer.
The total project took place in six phases. Phase one entailed the abatement of the roof asbestos
membrane. Phase two included the demolition of the loading dock addition structure and protection of the neighbors' exposed building wall. Phase three involved the shoring and temporary protection of various elements of the existing Coconut Building structure in preparation of the surgical demolition of the existing building. Phase four incorporated the building addition excavation, footing and foundation work. Phase five started the internal building demolition, and phase six allowed the demolition and construction to begin in earnest and sequenced for all disciplines.
"The building phase was quite interesting," says Del Russo. "The construction team decided to first survey the existing building vertically for plumb and dimensional coordination. The concrete and steel framed construction was to take place at the very early stages of the project. The steel structure was probably the more tedious and time-consuming segment of the building construction. After the anchor bolts were set, they were surveyed and each floor elevation was set to coordinate with the steel drawings, and the openings were to be created from the existing building to the new." The building's façade was another crucial element in the construction process. "The façade was covered with a zinc veneer rain screen. The façade substrate was covered with a self-seal vapor and moisture barrier. The integrity of the system required impeccable attention to detail and scrutiny of the installation in an effort to minimize breaks in that product's assembly integrity. The building fenestration, the details for adjacent materials, as well as integral joining of all the products required constant checking and proofing of the technical application," adds Del Russo.
The design development, site reconnaissance, planning, and design development spanned about
18 months leading up to the start of the abatement and demolition. Despite a complex demolition, renovation and addition, the greatest challenges of the project were elsewhere. According to Del Russo, the collecting and gathering of information for their LEED certification was actually the most challenging for his firm. "The LEED accreditation system and systems commissioning were major challenges to achieve, with impeccable management and documentation of the credits," he says. "An additional challenge was the need to minimize the installation dilemmas to make the mechanical systems commissioning seamless. The project is registered as LEED Silver, and will be one of the first LEED luxury high-rise buildings in northeast New Jersey."

http://www.delsano.com/

Scottrade Del-Sano Write-Up

2009-03-01T12:01:00.000-08:00

http://research.scottrade.com/public/markets/news/news.asp?docKey=100-056k3490-1&section=headlines

www.delsano.com

Del-Sano Featured on Metro Green Building

2009-02-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.metrogreenbusiness.com/news/green.php/2009/02/26/nj_s_1st_silver_leed_rated_luxury_reside

www.delsano.com

NJ First Silver LEED Green Building, Hoboken, NJ

2009-02-26T22:20:00.000-08:00

Del-Sano Contracting Corp. Completes Construction of Hoboken, NJ's GREEN Garden Street Lofts
Hoboken, N.J., Feb 25, 2009 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) --
Del-Sano Contracting Corp. (http://www.delsano.com) has completed construction of Garden Street Lofts (http://www.gardenstreetlofts.com), a luxury residential building in Hoboken, New Jersey. Garden Street Lofts' certification is pending as New Jersey's first luxury residential project to earn the Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating. The $16.8-million redevelopment project will also be Hoboken's only LEED-certified residential building upon certification. The project took 25 months to complete and is already 50% sold.
Garden Street Lofts was redeveloped from an existing 42,888-square-foot, structural steel, concrete and masonry, former coconut processing and storage warehouse that was erected in 1919. Del-Sano built a new 35,054-square-foot, seven-story structural steel and concrete addition with gauged metal-perimeter wall framing and a Zinc rain screen facade. The addition rises above and is linked to the restored cast-in-place concrete building at the original fifth floor roof level. The mixed-use complex includes 30-luxuriously appointed one-, two-, and three-bedroom, loft-style condominiums. Also, at ground level there is a total 7,500 square feet of open floor plan that is suited for prime retail space facing 14th and Garden Streets.
The building offers proximity to public transportation to New York City, as well as major highways including the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway. Garden Street Lofts also features structured cable for high-speed data and communications, as well as individually-controlled, multi-zone HVAC and audio/video entry security systems, Italian kitchens, and high-end appliances. Select units also offer double-height ceilings, fireplaces, hot tubs and IPE wood terraces.
According to Larry Bijou of Bijou Properties LLC, the project owner, "It took years of effort by some of the best and freshest minds in the industry to create a model for sustainable residential development that offers comfort, style and beauty, while being sensitive to the impact on the environment. The City of Hoboken is an ideal setting for this model because of its historical significance, proximity to New York City, and urbane mindset."
LEED promotes a holistic building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. While the re-use of the Coconut Building is perhaps the ultimate in recycling, the many sustainable development highlights of the project include:
A sedum-covered green roof designed to prevent flooding, as well as absorb rainfall and outside sound, making for a safer, cleaner, and quieter environment. Comprised of greenery and soils specially selected to prevent storm-water runoff, the green roof provides insulation, produces oxygen and reduces heat pollution. The foliage-covered roof creates significantly lower heat emissions compared to black asphalt, which will ultimately decrease energy use and residents' energy bills. Free access for residents to public transportation such as the PATH and the Hoboken Ferry. Optimized energy performance using special window glass and Viracon Low E VE 1-42 glazing to help maintain optimal indoor temperatures. The use of low emitting, recycled, locally manufactured, and rapidly renewable materials such as structural steel and zinc facade, bamboo flooring, cotton insulation, FSC certified wood, FSC IPE Decking and Siding, No VOC Paint and Low VOC coatings. (IPE is a hardwood from Brazilian growers that harvest under the guidelines and techniques of sustainable yield forestry management. It contains no toxins or chemicals.) Separate HVAC systems for the apartments and for the corridor and lobby spaces, which provide fresh, filtered cool and warm air to those spaces via 100% outside air rooftop air handling units. The building's design will utilize 24% less energy in heating, cooling and lighting, as well as 20% less water than a standard building, which, in turn, will afford lower utility bills. The building was constructed utilizing criteria from the LEED New Construction Guidelines version 2.1. During each stage of construction, the onsite team met to review/implement the guidelines, with an emphasis on construction waste management, diversion from landfill material, and adherence to an indoor air quality management plan. Construction waste management initiatives allowed 88% of building construction waste materials to be recycled during the construction process. These materials included, wood, metals, concrete, masonry, drywall, cartons/crates, and glass. 100% of the electrical power will be purchased from wind and other alternative energy sources. The site positioning maximizes the use of daylight and views. A green housekeeping program for the building management company. Sustainable education offered through building tours, web site links and information, and a case study. "Del-Sano was the ideal construction partner to redevelop Garden Street Lofts. Their knowledge of sustainable materials and LEED requirements, energy efficient systems and sustainable construction processes, as well as their commitment to the highest quality and attention to detail, were evident everyday throughout the process." Bijou noted.
"We are very excited about our contributions as general contractor to this ground-breaking project because it sets new standards and a commitment for sustainable residential development here in New Jersey. In addition, Garden Street Lofts is very much in sync with Del-Sano's own commitment to the utilization of sustainable resources and efficient, energy-conscious construction," said Del-Sano CEO and Founder Angelo Del Russo.
Among the other project team members were: Architect: Sharples Holden Pasquarelli Architects, New York, NY MEPS Engineer: Buro Happold, New York, NY Project Financing: TD Bank, Ramsey, NJ Marketing Agent: Hudson Place Realty, Hoboken, NJ LEED Commissioning Agent, Dome-Tech Group, Edison, NJ About Bijou Properties Garden Street Lofts was developed by Bijou Properties (http://www.bijouproperties.com), which has already received recognition for successfully redeveloping urban properties and for the adaptive re-use of a former industrial and warehouse building along the Hudson River waterfront. The company is committed to incorporating sustainable design and construction into its projects. Bijou Properties recently completed the renovation of the former Hostess Building, which is adjacent to Garden Street Lofts, into a prime retail property in Hoboken. Tenants include the New York Sports Club, Washington Mutual Bank, and CVS pharmacy.
About Del-Sano Contracting Corp. Del-Sano Contracting Corp. (http://www.delsano.com) a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is a skilled and qualified builder of LEED-registered projects. The firm is committed to setting new standards for sustainable development through ongoing education and training, responsible use of natural resources, and the integration of principles of sustainable development in its day-to-day activities and client projects.
Established in 1975, Del-Sano provides full-service, commercial general construction and construction management services to a distinguished and diverse client base located throughout the New York metropolitan area. The firm, which ranks among the 25 largest general contractors in New Jersey, is engaged in the construction and development of commercial, institutional, retail, multifamily (including senior, affordable and luxury housing) high-rise, multi-level and framed structures, as well as recreational facilities and historic renovation projects.
www.zibb.com

Green Design Makes 'Cents' CEO Angelo Del-Russo Quoted

2009-02-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

Green Design Makes 'Cents'
Multi-Housing News
Sept 4, 2008 By Keat Foong, Executive Editor

Green developments do not necessarily have to cost that much more. In the development of green multi-housing, certain measures are relatively cost-efficient but still go a long way toward achieving environmental sustainability. The items and measures "can literally range from zero to hundreds of thousands of dollars," says Michael Massie, housing development manager with the affordable housing developer Jamboree Housing Corp. For example, many of the items on Jamboree's green development checklist "simply required resourcefulness and creativity, not excessive expense," says the company. Low-VOC paints and dual-flush toilets are examples of green products that cost very little extra to incorporate, says Massie. "The difference in price for VOC versus non-VOC paints is pretty incidental," he adds. "And low-flush toilets have a dramatic impact, but cost just a few hundred dollars more." One measure that costs nothing extra but takes a big step in the direction of green building is orienting the building correctly in relation to the sun's exposure. In order to incorporate such measures and get the best bids from contractors, developers are advised to start planning their green strategies early, at the start of the design process. "The design process, if done correctly from the beginning, helps to find the strategic orientation of the building and take advantage of prevailing winds. These steps do not add to the cost of the building, but have a positive effect on the environmental aspects of the project," says Christof Jantzen, principal partner at the Los Angeles-based Behnisch Architects. Just how much more do green buildings cost today? The answer depends on many factors. Nevertheless, developers have general rules of thumb. "You are hovering about the 10 percent level," in higher construction costs, advises Angelo Del Russo, founder and CEO of Del-Sano Construction Corp., based in Union, N.J. Most of the extra costs in green projects come from the products and materials side, rather than from labor, Russo says. AvalonBay Communities Inc. currently has about a dozen green projects in the pilot phase, says Phillip Wharton, vice president of development in the company's New York office. One environmentally sensitive project the company is developing is the 507-unit Avalon White Plains, in White Plains, N.Y. The project is the first residential property in the city to incorporate green features under a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) program. The company will be reimbursed for as much as $504,747 under the program for the additional costs of incorporating or exceeding NYSERDA's energy conservation requirements. The measures taken by AvalonBay include the use of high-efficiency condensing boilers, low-rate ventilation fans, high-efficiency elevators and lighting, and Energy Star appliances. Wharton estimates the additional costs of implementing green building measures to be 2 to 5 percent of the total development cost, "which is significant because our developments often cost $100 million." All these items, Wharton says, would not have been economically worthwhile to incorporate without the NYSERDA incentives. "Over time, as the technology becomes more prolific, we'll start to see payback. The goal now is to be cost neutral or have the cost offset by the lower expenses," says Rachel Loeb, AvalonBay senior development director. California-based affordable housing developer Jamboree Housing Corp. agrees that green building can generate about 10 percent in additional costs. A project that the company currently has on the drawing boards is aiming for LEED Gold certification. The green certification will add about another $2 million to the $20 million development, estimates Massie. Jamboree now incorporates a green checklist at the start of design engineering for each of its projects. The developer says it typically exceeds California's Title 24 requirements by 15 percent and takes further steps to lower energy consumption and lower the level of pollutants. Its extensive standard green development checklist includes items such as avoiding wetlands or steep slopes, limiting density to 26.5 units per acre, using Energy Star appliances, designing units for east-west orientation for access to the sun, using through-unit design for maximum daylight penetration and natural ventilation and using capped ducts during construction. Many sustainable measures incur fixed costs no matter the number of units. In this regard, building green can actually result in fewer additional costs as a percentage of total costs if the development is high-cost or has many units. International developer Hines is currently developing the 35-unit One Jackson Square in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York. David Penick, vice president at Hines and the developer of the project, estimates that the LEED Silver rating will add about "3 percent in extra costs in the context of a very high-quality building." Condominiums at the project will sell for about $2,500 per square foot, or about $2.1 million to $22 million. "The additional cost is not that great if the project is a high-quality building," says Penick. Environmentally friendly measures to be employed at One Jackson Square include the use of at least 10 percent post-consumer recycled materials; 20 percent regional sourcing of materials; low-VOC paints, finishes and adhesives; mechanical systems such as high-efficiency motors and local control of equipment; and a green roof to reduce water runoff and heat emission. According to Penick, the green roof is one of the most expensive propositions in the green equation. He says the union-installed cost for the green roof system at One Jackson Square will be about $25 per sq. ft. In any case, the biggest financial challenge of building green to LEED standards is "meeting the energy requirements without question," says Penick. "It is also one of the biggest benefits because greater energy efficiencies will lower building costs," he says. Other costly green items are photovoltaic cell solar panels used for the generation of energy from the sun. Jamboree Housing employed these panels in its 36-unit Laurel Crest Apartment Homes in Lancaster, Calif. at a cost of $169,000. However, the company is obtaining a $69,000 rebate from the state of California, and the use of the technology helped the developer earn an additional $35,000 in equity from the sale of 4 percent tax credits. The anticipated savings are at least $6,500 a year in electricity charges. As a result, the company was able to take out an additional $91,000 in extra debt.
www.del-sano.com

Featured Real Estate Business Online

2009-02-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

DEL-SANO SELECTED FOR SENIOR HOUSING PROJECTWEST CALDWELL, N.J. — Union, N.J.-based Del-Sano Contracting Corp, has been selected to provide general contracting services for the construction of Phases II and III of Crane’s Mill, a 35-acre senior housing facility located in West Caldwell that is being developed by Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey. The project is expected to cost $27 million, and construction will begin this month. Phase II will include the construction of 70 independent units with 47 underground parking spaces, as well as 10 cottages with attached garages. The independent living units will be located in a two-story building attached to the existing central facility. Phase III of Crane’s Mill will encompass 20,000 square feet of new and existing space. A new wing will be added that will house the memory support area, a dementia courtyard and renovated common areas for the assisted living areas. Construction will also include the conversion of 18 of the facility’s 60 assisted living units into dementia units. Upon completion, Crane’s Mill will contain 286 independent living units, 48 assisted living units and 18 dementia units, with 66 of the units set aside for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. The first phase of the community was completed in 1998. MARCUS & MILLICHAP BROKERS 120-UNIT APARTMENT SALELEVITTOWN, PA. — Marcus & Millichap has brokered the sale of Avalon Court Apartments, a 120-unit, garden-style apartment community located in Levittown. Situated on 6 acres on Bristol Oxford Valley Road, the property contains 11 three-story brick buildings. Clark Talone and Ridge MacLaren of Marcus & Millichap’s Philadelphia office represented the seller, Avalon Partners, and procured the buyer, a regionally based partnership. The acquisition price was not disclosed. http://www.rebusinessonline.com/news_archive/2008/August/08-08-08.shtml

Domus Names Del-Sano for HUD Project

2008-10-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Domus Names Del-Sano Contractor for HUD Senior Housing
By Erika Schnitzer, Associate Editor

http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/content_display/industry-news/e3ic75447be81df667c9f044623e5281ebb

Dumont, N.J.—Domus Housing Corp., the housing arm of the Catholic Charities of The Archdiocese of Newark, recently broke ground on a $10.4 million HUD 202 low-income senior housing project, St. Mary’s Senior Residence, in Dumont N.J. Del-Sano Contracting Corp., a U.S. Green Building Council member based in Union, N.J., was selected as the general contractor for the project, and Princeton-based Steven S. Cohen Architect P.C. designed the development, which is located on the grounds of St. Mary’s Parish at 280 Washington Avenue.The four-story, 45,000-sq.-ft. project will offer 49 one-bedroom units for residents ages 62 and older who earn less than $32,000 a year. Each 540-sq.-ft. apartment will be handicap-adaptable and will include Energy Star fixtures and appliances and thermal bypass details for efficient utilities usage. The project also includes a 2,000-sq.-ft. community room with a kitchen. Monthly rents will be 35 percent of residents’ income, explains Barbara Sekelsky, project coordinator, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark. Funding for St. Mary’s Senior Residence was provided through HUD ($7,669,400), Bergen County HOME ($1,010,000), Bergen County CDBG ($200,000), the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York ($375,000) and State of N.J. HOME Funds ($750,000). Additionally, Catholic Charities received a $400,000 DPG grant from HUD for the demolition of the existing building on the site.Del-Sano previously worked with Domus and Catholic Charities of he Archdiocese of Newark in 2005 on a 49-unit senior housing development in Kearny, N.J.

www.delsano.com

Michael Wolz Joins Del-Sano Contracting Corp. as Project Manager

2008-10-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

Michael Wolz Joins Del-Sano Contracting Corp. as Project Manager
By Betsy Kraat

UNION-– Michael A. J. Wolz, AIA, CSI, CCCA, has joined Del-Sano Contracting Corp. as a project manager, announced Del-Sano CEO Angelo Del Russo. A registered architect and a certified construction contract administrator, Wolz will be responsible for managing the project budget, administrative and engineering controls, client reporting, contract drawings, sub contractors’ requests, training and field staff for Del-Sano’s construction projects throughout New Jersey.
Wolz brings more than 20 years’ experience in architecture and construction project management to Del-Sano. He previously served as a construction project manager for The RBA Group in Parsippany where he managed more than $188 million in projects over a five-year period. He has also held positions with URS Corporation and the South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education, as well as several architectural firms in New Jersey.
He earned a BA in architecture from Pratt Institute School of Architecture and a BA in architectural history from Syracuse University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), AIA New Jersey and the New Jersey Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute.

http://www.njand.com/news/business.php/2008/10/14/michael_wolz_joins_del_sano_contracting_

www.delsano.com

New Jersey & Company Michael Wolz Joins Del-Sano

2008-10-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Michael Wolz Joins Del-Sano Contracting Corp. as Project Manager
By Betsy Kraat
http://www.njand.com/news/business.php/2008/10/14/michael_wolz_joins_del_sano_contracting_
UNION-– Michael A. J. Wolz, AIA, CSI, CCCA, has joined Del-Sano Contracting Corp. as a project manager, announced Del-Sano CEO Angelo Del Russo.
A registered architect and a certified construction contract administrator, Wolz will be responsible for managing the project budget, administrative and engineering controls, client reporting, contract drawings, sub contractors’ requests, training and field staff for Del-Sano’s construction projects throughout New Jersey.
Wolz brings more than 20 years’ experience in architecture and construction project management to Del-Sano. He previously served as a construction project manager for The RBA Group in Parsippany where he managed more than $188 million in projects over a five-year period. He has also held positions with URS Corporation and the South Orange/Maplewood Board of Education, as well as several architectural firms in New Jersey.
He earned a BA in architecture from Pratt Institute School of Architecture and a BA in architectural history from Syracuse University. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), AIA New Jersey and the New Jersey Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute.
www.delsano.com

Feature in Multi-Housing News

2008-08-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

Del-Sano Contracting Breaks Ground on Two Phases of N.J. Continuing Care Community
By Erika Schnitzer, Associate Editor

West Caldwell, N.J.--Del-Sano Contracting Corp., a Union, N.J.-based construction management firm, has been selected to serve as the general contractor of Phases two and three for a continuing care retirement community in West Caldwell, N.J. The development, Crane’s Mill, will be the second project that Del-Sano has built for the owner, Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey (LSM/NJ), a faith-based, non-profit ministry that provides social services and affordable housing to seniors and families.The first phase of the project was completed in 1998. "The building has been fully occupied for two to three years, and we’ve had a consistent waiting list of people wanting to come into the facilities. There are not a lot of CCRCs (continuing care retirement communities) in the area, so seniors are looking for this type of housing," Susan Arnold, vice president of fund development and marketing of LSM/NJ, tells MHN. "CCRC living is a friendly, warm and welcoming environment."Crane’s Mill offers three levels of care--independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing and rehabilitation services--under the same roof. Once completed, Crane’s Mill will offer 286 independent living units, 48 assisted living units, 18 dementia units and 66 units for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.Phase two will include 70 independent units with sub-grade parking, as well as five two-unit cottages, explains Angelo DelRusso, CEO of Del-Sano. "The independent unit living building is the largest portion of the project that links up to the existing building," allowing residents access to the community amenities, which includes a fitness center, pool and dining facilities.The independent living units offer one- and two-bedrooms, in addition to the cottages, and is currently 65 percent pre-sold. Prices range from $200,000 to $700,000 and may differ depending on the contract the resident chooses. The type A contract offers life care services, while the type B contract charges additional fees for services as needed. Phase three of the project is a renovation of the already existing assisted living and skilled nursing units. Del-Sano will build a new wing that will house a memory support area, a dementia courtyard and assisted living common areas. Once completed, phase three will convert 60 existing units into 48 assisted living units and 17 dementia units.The property, which recently began construction on the new phases, is located on 35 acres on the former site of a lumber mill. The project is expected to be complete in January 2010. Commerce Bank provided bond financing for the $27 million project.
www.delsano.com

Del-Sano Featured in New Jersey & Company

2008-08-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

New Jersey & Company
August 8, 2008
Del-Sano Contracting Selected to Construct Phases II & III of Crane's Mill Retirement Community
By Betsy Kraat
WEST CALDWELL--Del-Sano Contracting Corp. has been selected by Lutheran Social Ministries ofNew Jersey to serve as the general contractor for the development of Phases II and III of Crane’sMill, a continuing care retirement community.The $27-million project represents the second project that Del-Sano has built for LSM/NJ, a faithbased, non-profit ministry that provides social services and affordable housing to seniors andfamilies across the state of New Jersey. The 16-month project is expected to commence in August 2008. In July 2008, Del-Sano completed the building construction of Mt. Olive II, an affordable housing complex in Flanders for LSM/NJ. Located on a 35-acre campus on the former site of a lumber mill dating to the mid 1700’s, Crane’s Mill offers independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care. LSM/NJ opened Crane’s Mill in August 1998. Once Phases II and III of Crane’s Mill are complete, the community will consist of 286 independent living units, 48 assisted living units, 18 dementia units, as well as 66 units for skilled nursing and rehabilitiation services, to offer a full spectrum of living arrangements for seniors.
Phase II construction will take place alongside Passaic Avenue and will include the addition of 70
independent living apartments with 47 underground parking spaces, as well as 10 cottages, each
featuring an attached garage. The independent living units will be located in a two-story building
that is connected to the existing central facility building to provide direct access to the community’s central amenities.
Phase III comprises the assisted living component of Crane’s Mill, which consists of 20,000 sf of
new and renovated space. Specifically, Del-Sano will build a new wing that will house a memory
support area, a dementia courtyard and renovated assisted living common areas. The project will also include a new entry, enlarged activity space and a more open floor plan. Phase III will convert 60 existing assisted living units into 48 assisted living units and 18 dementia units.

www.delsano.com

Crain's Mill Project on Globe St.

2008-08-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.globest.com/news/1213_1216/newjersey/172918-1.html

Featured in Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal

2008-07-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

BNET News Del-Sano Deliver's with NJ's Mt. Olive Manor II

2008-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Del-Sano Contracting Corp. marks the grand opening of Mr. Olive Manor II in Flanders, NJ. Mt. Olive Manor II consists of 50 affordable, federally subsidized, one-bedroom apartments and is adjacent to 60 existing apartments that comprise Mt. Olive Manor I. Del-Sano served as the general contractor for the $8.9 million project, which was funded largely through the Section 202 HUD program. Mt. Olive Manor II is professionally managed by Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.
According to Del-Sano CEO Angelo Del Russo, "Since the project is adjacent to Mt. Olive Manor I and they share several common areas, it was important to create a smooth transition during construction and minimize disruption to current residents at the existing facility.
Mt. Olive Manor II has been outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, including a key-fob entry/security system and the latest wiring for cable and data services. Other features include hallways lined with handrails, handicap-accessible showers, and an intercom system that connects directly to the building management office for added peace of mind. In keeping with its commitment to green building, Del-Sano achieved Energy-Star Certification for Mt. Olive Manor II for adhering to strict guidelines for the way the site was developed and will continue to use energy, water, and materials to reduce the impact on human health and the environment, as outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mt. Olive Manor II was dedicated in memory of Mr. Gerald O. Sims. Mr. Sims was the Director of Housing Development for LSM/NJ from 1998 to 2005 and during his tenure, was instrumental in the planning and design of Mt. Olive Manor II.

Featured in Entrepreneur.com

2008-07-23T15:50:00.000-07:00

Del-Sano delivers with NJ's Mt. Olive
Manor II. Real Estate Weekly • July 23, 2008 • INSIDE CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN
Del-Sano Contracting Corp. marks the grand opening of Mr. Olive Manor II in Flanders, NJ. Mt.
Olive Manor II consists of 50 affordable, federally subsidized, one-bedroom apartments and is
adjacent to 60 existing apartments that comprise Mt. Olive Manor I. Del-Sano served as the generalcontractor for the $8.9 million project, which was funded largely through the Section 202 HUDprogram. Mt. Olive Manor II is professionally managed by Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.
According to Del-Sano CEO Angelo Del Russo, "Since the project is adjacent to Mt. Olive Manor I and they share several common areas, it was important to create a smooth transition during
construction and minimize disruption to current residents at the existing facility.
Mt. Olive Manor II has been outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, including a key-fob
entry/security system and the latest wiring for cable and data services. Other features include
hallways lined with handrails, handicap-accessible showers, and an intercom system that connectsdirectly to the building management office for added peace of mind. In keeping with its commitmentto green building, Del-Sano achieved Energy-Star Certification for Mt. Olive Manor II for adhering tostrict guidelines for the way the site was developed and will continue to use energy, water, andmaterials to reduce the impact on human health and the environment, as outlined by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. Mt. Olive Manor II was dedicated in memory of Mr. Gerald O.Sims. Mr. Sims was the Director of Housing Development for LSM/NJ from 1998 to 2005 andduring his tenure, was instrumental in the planning and design of Mt. Olive Manor II.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/182126675.html