When New York-based developer Jonathan Rose Cos. (JRC) acquired the Barbara Jean Wright Court Apartments in 2021, the 272-unit, low-rise, 40 percent Section 8 community in Chicago’s University Village neighborhood was in need of some serious repair.
Originally built in the 1970s and remodeled in 1999, the complex’s HVAC systems, flooring, kitchens, bathrooms and boilers were long past the point of needing a complete overhaul. The issue? The building was nearly fully occupied, which made this a tricker project than normal.
To pull off this occupied restoration, JRC needed a construction partner with a track record of community building and collaboration. When the original contractor withdrew at the last minute, Skender was able to step in and provide a smooth transition.
Restoration and Amenity-Building
The project had two main objectives: first, the renovation and enhancement of the apartment and townhouse buildings and their living units, and second, the design and construction of a standalone, 5,483-square-foot clubhouse for both community use and to house property management and resident services.
The undertaking was ambitious given the tight closing deadline. The task to walk, field measure and review existing conditions within one month was a unique challenge, both for the design and construction teams and the management team that had no idea who was living in their units.
Nearly all the 272 units across 27 buildings in the complex were occupied, which meant the project needed to be completed in 27 different phases. In each phase, residents needed to be relocated to complete the internal upgrades and quality-of-life improvements, a complex and costly initiative to both plan and execute.
Externally, the buildings received enhanced landscaping, energy-efficient windows, new roof shingles, brick masonry repairs and tuckpointing, new concrete sidewalks, asphalt parking lots and new entry gates tied to a sitewide security and campus entry system.
In the end, the renovated living units better met the needs of the community by providing more efficient kitchens with dishwashers, updated bathrooms with ceramic-tiled showers and new plumbing piping and fixtures, new floor finishes, energy efficient lighting fixtures and HVAC upgrades.
Navigating Challenges
The learning curve for this project was both interesting and difficult. Multiple parties were involved in the approval process, including the Department of City Housing, the Chicago Housing Authority, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and private lending sources.
Coordinating these diverse teams and personalities to expedite approvals was a significant challenge, especially given the supply chain challenges still prevalent after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another major challenge was that the Barbara Jean Wright Court Apartments were 80 to 90 percent occupied at the time of acquisition and the start of construction. The logistics of relocating existing residents in an occupied rehab project are particularly complex. In some cases, residents were temporarily relocated to a block of units within a hotel and then moved back into their renovated units. Initially, all vacancies were grouped into one building, which was renovated first. The next group of residents then moved into the newly renovated building, and this process continued.
This approach, known as the leapfrog method, required careful coordination to ensure there were no occupied units between the buildings under renovation. It involved staggering the renovations so that tradespeople could move seamlessly from one project to the next, minimizing downtime and reducing the risk of delays, changes and errors that could have arisen from using different crews or leaders.
Teamwork and Collaboration Drive Success
Regardless of the scale or complexity, collaboration lies at the heart of every successful project. That certainly was the case for the Barbara Jean Wright Court Apartments. Despite the challenges project leaders encountered, it succeeded because all involved parties adapted to a people-centric approach to getting the job done.
Building trust and communication led to an efficient flow of technical aspects, such as batch work — a productivity method focused on grouping together similar tasks to create flow and minimize the time and effort it takes to switch gears within the occupied rehab project.
Effective communication and collaboration on a project of this size must start from within. For Skender, this meant fostering collaboration within its own office, encouraging all employees to engage in the design process and share their insights from the start. This internal collaboration set the foundation for seamless teamwork that extends beyond the office walls.
Success on this project also meant more than just working together; it required a deep understanding of each team member’s strengths, weaknesses and unique perspectives. As the construction schedule spanned 18 months, the team recognized the importance of establishing clear roles and a well-defined chain of command from the outset.
Within the initial months of construction, the benefits of this level of holistic collaboration became evident as each team member seamlessly fulfilled their roles and responsibilities. This collective effort resulted in the overall success of the project, demonstrating the power of effective communication, mutual respect and shared goals in driving project outcomes.
Lean Construction Principles: A Holistic Solution to Complex Project Issues
Coordinating with every party involved in the project presented a unique set of challenges. The developer, for example, faced issues such as lack of familiarity with the market. Building residents resisted change and the inconvenience that came along with it. The City of Chicago agencies, aldermen and lenders had a cumbersome approval process for discovered conditions and project hurdles.
While these hurdles were difficult to overcome, using lean construction methods helped the project team to optimize efficiency and minimize waste, ultimately completing the project on time and under budget. Lean construction is a project management system that aligns the owner, design team, construction team and contractors.
As communication is a cornerstone of lean construction, the implementation of the Lean Last Planner System, which focuses on generating and maintaining workflow by promoting communication, enabled the team to address each of these issues. Roadblock meetings involving the client, architect and general contractor improved the request for information (RFI) process, one of the biggest sources of waste in construction.
On the jobsite, weekly all-subcontractor meetings and daily stand-ups facilitated the free exchange of ideas. Regular communications and the establishment of a project tenant council kept residents informed and reassured, while the use of a relocation firm ensured seamless moves for residents both out and back into their units. Additionally, completing daily monitoring of the look-ahead schedule allowed the team to keep on track and deftly navigate any upcoming delays or roadblocks with ease.
Ultimately, the project succeeded because trust was established through a people-first approach. Schedule deficiencies were quickly identified and corrected, material crises were resolved, and optimal pricing was achieved through constant communication and collaboration.
The success of this ambitious undertaking shows the power of collaborative efforts and efficient project management. By prioritizing people and leveraging lean principles, Jonathan Rose Cos. and Skender not only transformed the Barbara Jean Wright Court Apartments but also set a benchmark for future development projects.
Erik Amos is a senior project manager at Chicago-based Skender Construction. He managed the 27-building, 272-unit occupied rehab construction of Barbara Jean Wright Court Apartments on Chicago’s West Side. For more information, visit www.skender.com.