Participant Case Study Boston Properties – 250 W. 55th Street Office Tower
In the midst of a challenging economic cycle, Boston Properties began work on a new signature office tower on the western edge of New York City’s Midtown business district. The site is located in one of the busiest neighborhoods in the City and the presence of two additional construction sites on the block make construction staging and deliveries complex.
Despite these challenges, Boston Properties has produced a well-managed, well laid-out site in order to present a high quality project to the public and to potential tenants during construction.
Boston Properties' project (center) goes up alongside another high rise project
Sidewalk sheds were raised to permit natural light and openness
Boston Properties and Turner Construction arranged the worksite in several ways to improve its appearance, improve operations, and reduce impacts on the public:
- Construction sheds are in excess above the standard height, allowing more natural light onto the sidewalk and creating a greater feeling of openness.
- Active parts of the site at ground level are wrapped in a heavy mesh, concealing activity and reducing noise impacts.
- Sidewalks, streets, exits and entries to the site are swept and well maintained.
- Materials are neatly stacked and organized and waste is covered at all times.
- The workforce observes a code of conduct and respects public rights of way.
Finally, concrete delivery was handled in an ingenious fashion: the sidewalk was raised to create a hollow channel running underneath the sidewalk. The cement truck is stationed curbside, separated from the sidewalk by Plexiglas barriers, while the cement is pumped from the truck, under the sidewalk, and onto the worksite, eliminating conflicts with pedestrian traffic from pipes, runoff or sidewalk closures.
Raised sidewalk allowed cement delivery underneath the sidewalk
Pedestrian right of way is clear and active portions of site are fully wrapped
Taken together, all of these efforts meaningfully reduce the impact of construction of a major new office tower has had on the neighborhood. Robert E. Selsam, Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for Boston Properties, observed, “Our practices at 250 West 55th Street have two purposes. A well-run, clean and safe worksite increases productivity, which is important for our business. But we also take our obligation to be a good neighbor seriously. That’s why the site management principles we’ve adopted here and which are a part of Construction for a Livable City should be the industry standard.”
For more information on the Construction for a Livable City program, contact Andrew Hollweck at the New York Building Foundation, 212-481-9230.
