Un-Screwing A Screwed-Up Medical Building
The Problem
The project was a medical building with two parking levels below and two floors of office space above. Constructed in 1980, it underwent multiple renovations. Recently, a new owner contracted for more than $800,000 in tenant improvements to create a plastic surgery center. The owners had paid most of the contract price, plus significant change orders, and yet the project was not nearing completion. PFCS was hired to find out why.
The Solution
We collected documents, interviewed people, and compared the planned work to actual. What we found was alarming. There were no plans or permits; only letter-size schematics, grossly lacking in detail. There were many dangerous and defective conditions: large holes in the floor, beams that lacked structural integrity, plumbing waste lines above finish floor level; dimensions did not match the "plans," doorways were too narrow to be code compliant, and walls were out of square and not plumb. Life-safety issues included paraphernalia scattered from drug use by squatters who had entered the unlocked building during construction.
Work and payments were immediately stopped so we could document every inch of the as-built construction. The contractor was fired because the work was worth LESS than $0, as it needed to be entirely demolished.
The location was losing money each day not in service, so time was of the essence. PFCS took on the role of Owner's Representative / Construction Manager, immediately composed a written plan, and began executing, including delivering Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to architectural and engineering designers. We were able to save $60,000 on a single designer by competitively bidding and vetting. Next, we defined the 100% scope of work with clarity, packaged and tendered an RFP, and selected the right contractor. Again, our professional, structured, competitive process brought the best contractors, with the most reasonable prices, into sharp focus. Soon after selection and contract signing, work began without drama. The facility will soon be complete.
PFCS and the owner have now moved on to evaluating additional buildings and facility improvement projects for their growing business.