Wakefield, RI – When the executive team at Thundermist Health Center made the decision to expand and build an entirely new facility in Wakefield, they soon realized they were in for quite the process. They quickly looked to hire an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) to help them navigate the difficult decisions that were lying ahead of them.
Bowerman Associates, Inc. was hired as the construction manager and was brought into the project early on to work closely with the design team, consultants and senior Thundermist management team.
The plans called for a new 20,000sf patient centered medical facility, replacing and doubling the size of the existing medical building.
Bowerman was able to understand the needs and concerns that the Thundermist team and staff faced, including a new “state of the art” patient centric medical facility, an underground parking structure, and an aggressive schedule within a tight budget range.
Now complete, the new facility hosts 18 medical exam rooms, 10 dental suites/operatories, medical triage, multiple waiting areas, children/family areas, administrative offices, nutritional train kitchen, multiple executive and smaller conference and training rooms, and a new 27 space parking garage.
Many challenges faced the Bowerman project team and Thundermist’s team. A few of the greatest challenges that had to be solved included: How to keep an existing operating medical facility open and operating 16 hours a day/7 days a week, while a new facility was constructed just 25 feet away on the existing parking lot?
How do we keep patients and staff safe, well informed and productive? Where are patients going to park? We are putting a building on their parking lot? Where do we lay down materials, steel, cranes, work vehicles, trailers, etc. How do we knock down the old building once everyone is in the new building and re-build the patient parking lots and give everyone proper access?
In the spirit of teamwork, All parties involved rolled up their sleeves and committed the necessary planning and execution to deliver an exceptional project.