Page 25 - BusinessWest June 27, 2022

At left, one of the original staircases at the Court Square Hotel. At right, the ceiling in what was the main lobby.
category of historical restoration. Others include the transformation of Classical High School into condominiums, Berkshire Hall at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, the public libraries in Holy- oke and Shrewsbury, and even the conversion of 95 State St., visible out the windows of the Court Square property, into the home of MGM’s head- quarters in Springfield.
Work at Court Square began early this year, he said, noting that the first phase involved weath- erizing the property and making it structurally sound, significant steps for a building that was, in his words, in “terrible shape” when crews arrived
and set up shop.
Actually it was in terrible shape in 2000, as
photos in that bid package reveal, he said, add- ing that conditions only worsened over the past two decades as the elements took their toll on the structure.
“It had been vacant for 20 or 30 years,” he explained. “When we got there, the envelope needed work — and there are still areas where water gets into the building when the weather is poor — and historically there has been no heat in the building in the winter. The building was really on its last legs.”
Repairing and renovating what Mother Nature has damaged is just one of many challenges on this project, said Fontaine, noting that, like all construction projects undertaken at this time, this one has had to contend with everything from supply-chain issues to often dramatic increases in the prices of materials and labor.
So much so that the Springfield City Council approved an 11th-hour request for $6.5 million in emergency funding to handle cost overruns for the project which came to fruition through a public-private partnership that includes a number of players, from the state, to Wynn
Raymond R. Houle Construction is committed to every detail.
These photos depict a typical “containment door” attached to a RHC job site.
This temporary door is one of the many safety/infectious control measures which RHC employs in order to ensure the safety and health of the employees and patients within a healthcare setting, while construction is being carried out.
In addition to the Building Permit, healthcare
facilities require general contractors to post several other documents in plain view at the entrance to every job site.
These include:
•Interim Life Safety Measures (ILSM) Assessment Tool •Interim Life Safety Measures Daily Checklist/Report •Infection Control (IC) Program Manual: IC75 •Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA)
•IC Preventative Measures Daily Checklist/Report
RHC is fully committed to the safety, health and well-being of everyone in and around our job sites.
We take the necessary precautions,
and we take them seriously.
Trustworthy. Sincere. Straightforward. Your satisfaction is our guarantee.
American Society 413.547.2500 www.RayHoule.com 5 Miller St, Ludlow MA For Healthcare Engineering
BusinessWest
CONSTRUCTION
JUNE 27, 2022 25