Driver SPG Awarded $14 Million Project for Interior Renovation of California State Bar
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To help with coordination, the team has been using lean construction techniques, especially just-in-time delivery. According to Driver SPG Project Manager Brett Montgomery, completing the improvements in the coming months will be quite a challenge.
“It is downtown Los Angeles – a high traffic, tight urban footprint area with very limited staging, storage and parking,” he says. ”Because we have a fully operational tenant on the first floor (Smart & Final just opened), materials have to be loaded through the second, third and fourth story windows. Noise/dust all have to be kept to a minimum. Coordination is key on this project since there are other general contractors working on site every day. Plus, we have a very aggressive schedule due to the State Bar needing to be out of their existing offices by the first of the year. We are working double-shifts and weekends to make sure everything is done on time.”
Additionally, part of Driver SPG’s role is renovating the lobby and installing a special windows-on-concrete exterior treatment to bring more light into the structure. The building was originally built in the 1970s, but remained vacant for extended periods of time. Last year the building underwent a full base renovation prior to being purchased from the L&R Companies by the California State Bar, a longtime tenant of the AT&T Center.
Driver SPG’s interior work includes an open concept build with workstations and flexible work areas. In addition, there will be offices, storage, a kitchen and break rooms. Although each floor will feature a modern industrial, open feel through selective application of partitions, the courtrooms where the judges and attorneys meet will still highlight an Old World ambiance. The courtrooms pay homage to the past with rich, wood-paneled walls and judge’s bench.
“This is a bigger, more noteworthy assignment than many people realize,” says Montgomery. “The building is in a great location, situated between L.A. LIVE and the financial district. When Driver SPG’s team completes the interior, combined with the already finished exterior work, we will have transformed what was considered a defunct structure back into a very attractive property, housing one of the most prestigious organizations in California.”
The architect on the project is LeanArch. Driver SPG’s project team includes Karl Kreutziger, executive vice president; Matt Loorya, director of operations; Brett Montgomery, project manager; Chris Lopez, superintendent; Serge Norkin, project engineer and Andrew Borchman, project engineer.
About Driver SPG
Driver SPG (Special Projects Group) was formed in 2011 to tap C.W. Driver’s enviable construction experience and management resources in a more agile approach to smaller (under $20 million) projects involving new construction, adaptive reuse, renovation and modernization. Driver SPG is an affiliate of C.W. Driver, a premier builder serving the Western United States since 1919. Both firms share resources and expertise to provide their clients with the highest levels of sophistication and customer service. For more information, please visit www.driverspg.com.
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