Construction Progress

Update through March 9, 2007

Court and Cummings officials, pictured below during one of their many collaborative design meetings, are zeroing in on the fine details of the working drawings. Currently, the details, such as the location of individual electrical receptacles, telephone and data jacks, etc. are being sited on plans, and door and finish schedules are being developed.

The finer points of the millwork for the 15 brand new courtrooms, including the judges' benches, and the stations for the court clerk, reporter, and court and probation officers, as well as the jury boxes, are expected to be finalized by the end of the month.

In the meantime, structural steel erection continues at a brisk pace, surpassing the 50% completion plateau this past week with the addition of the fifth and sixth floors on the north portion of the courthouse. All of the pre-cast concrete panels for the building exterior have been poured in Vermont, and are on track for installation in late April, after steel erection is complete.

Contracts were recently awarded for the window walls and other glass. Talks continue with the MBTA to bring public transportation directly into Trade Center Park by the Court's move-in day, early in 2008.

Despite the arrival of winter weather conditions several weeks ago, excellent progress continues at Trade Center Park. The Courthouse foundation is now complete, along with more than one-third of the parking garage foundation.

Indeed, steel frame erection and decking assembly has been underway for almost two weeks and is already about 20 percent complete. This work is being done in phases, and notwithstanding some recent bitterly cold weather, four stories of the first phase, on the north side of the building, are already in place.

Drivers passing by on Route 128/I-95 are now able to see the frame of the Courthouse being erected. The nearly 100 pre-cast architectural panels for this phase of the project are fabricated and ready for installation when the steel frame is done, expected around April 15.

The exhaustive construction drawings that fully describe all aspects of the Courthouse construction have also been advanced significantly by Cummings' in-house staff and were delivered to Court officials this week. Designers from both teams are now working closely to fine-tune the interior details.

Behind the scenes, crucial major purchases are moving ahead quickly as well. For example, the contract for the building's four elevators, including the dedicated elevators for the judges and detainees was awarded this week. Next week the contract for the expansive glass curtain wall will be awarded. Bid packages have been issued for the concrete floors, fireproofing and the roof.

Update through January 15, 2007

After taking advantage of at least a little of Woburn's much delayed winter weather, active construction is now well underway at Trade Center Park. The first steel pilings went into the ground on January 2, and all of the Courthouse piles are now in place.

The concrete pile caps, upon which the building's steel framework will rise, are 90 percent complete also, and the crews are making good progress already on the garage foundation piles, as well. The perimeter foundation walls for the Courthouse will likely be done by February 1.

Most of the structural steel is already fabricated, and the erection contract has been awarded. Steel erection is expected to begin by February 15, and installation of the building's pre-cast concrete exterior should begin by April 15.

A special environmental study is also being taken to identify "green building" options, which Commonwealth authorities may want to consider for the building. Because this Courthouse lease envisions an occupancy of only three to five years, only those options which can pay for themselves within the first 36 months will be presented.

These environmental-friendly options include high-efficiency heat reflecting glass, especially for the west side of the structure, and specially reflective white roofing. Other fast-payback environmental upgrades to be recommended will likely include construction of an on-site well to supply fresh ground water, rather than City drinking water, for the Court's enormous (200 ton) air-conditioning chillers, and using higher-efficiency heating and cooling equipment.

The construction goal for occupancy is early January, and, if the builders really work at things, that goal may be achieved. In addition to looking at the above-described environmental options, Court authorities have expressed strong interest in considering any possible steps that might be taken to reach this goal.