Despite facing numerous hurdles, Eckman delivered a first-class building ahead of schedule

When ground was broken on Bowman Place at Olde Bedford in October of 2019, it would’ve been difficult to predict the unforeseen challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic could present in just months. Personnel issues, material availability and costs, and safety measures could’ve easily derailed construction.

The project never missed a beat. Despite a number of hurdles that could have slowed the process, the three-story, 95,000-square-foot, 105-apartment assisted living complex on Old Bedford Road built by Eckman Construction, of Bedford, was completed over a month early. The first residents were welcomed in March.

“Our partners and subcontractors worked exceptionally hard to get through the first winter,” says Eckman Construction Vice President Preston Hunter. “When we transitioned into spring, most of the structure was up and we were able to hit the ground running.”

Extensive site work, including six weeks of ledge blasting and months of earth moving, set the stage for the structure to be built into what was once a hillside. The first foundation was placed on Dec. 24, 2019, followed by additional concrete work and a retaining wall — again, necessitated by the rolling location. Next: erecting the structure itself.

“Covid-19 hit as we were completing the structural steel,” Hunter says. “We were fortunate in that, for the spring of 2020, when the pandemic took hold, the building was wide open for the most part.”

Metro Walls, of Manchester, was beginning to frame the exterior walls, and worked toward getting portions of the building weather tight in the latter half of the spring.

“We reacted as you would expect,” Hunter says. “We instituted all of the CDC guidelines as part of our job site protocols, and we used the governor’s guidelines as the basis for our new policies.”

New safety measures such as installing hand-washing stations, instituting facecovering requirements, daily temperature checks and monitoring wellness created a work site that was able to weather the growing health concerns.

“We were fortunate that we didn’t really have any major issues as a result of the pandemic,” Hunter says.

As time would reveal, issues such as material availability and the rising price of needed supplies would begin to become a part of many construction projects. Just not this one.

“We had put in place a great deal of planning,” Hunter says. “The project was well-off in that we had already preordered the long lead-time items. We were in good shape as far as lining up all of the materials and equipment needed for the project.

“In many respects, we avoided delays and shortages of equipment that became more common later in 2020 because we were out ahead of it. Everything was under contract before availability of materials and equipment really started to become impacted.”

The building itself is a structural steel frame built to healthcare standards and an I-2 category — typically used for medical, surgical nursing or custodial care.

However, Bowman Place is much more than that.

“It was finished and fit up like you’d expect in a luxury hotel,” Hunter says. “You’d never know it was a structural steel building with institutional grade quality structure beneath all of the beautiful woodwork and high-end finishes.”

Bowman Place, which has both assisted living and memory care residences, has “everything under one roof,” Hunter says. Among the amenities are a library, a fitness room, common areas, activity rooms, game rooms, a hair salon, meeting rooms, a cafe, laundry rooms and a formal living room.

“This is really a high-end living community with a lot of exciting spaces to explore and programs to allow the residents to enjoy a nice quality of life,” Hunter says.

Those living in the memory care apartments can take advantage of a memory garden in a section of the community that puts a focus on those residents’ specific needs. Each floor in the memory care area has its own dining, living and activity space, and a country kitchen so that residents don’t have to move between floors to find the spaces and amenities they need.

The entirety of Bowman Place at Olde Bedford was built to exceed modern energy codes and was constructed using materials with recycled content. And because comfort is important to residents, air handling systems with individual controls and fresh air ventilation systems with energy recovery units were incorporated into the design.

Hunter cites the quality of the subcontractors as playing an important role in keeping the project on track and successful.

“We were fortunate to have a lot of great subcontractors on the project,” he says. “The design team was also excellent including EGA Architects and local engineering firm, TFMoran, who provided site design and permitting for the project.”

Assembling that team, he says, is what led to the smooth process.

“Projects that have a great team are almost always going to turn out great, and this one did,” Hunter says. “Really, the project went very smoothly.”

The nonprofit ownership group, Senior Living of Bedford, led by board members Alan Yeaton and Paul Harrrington, engaged Jobin Construction Consultants who took point on any construction issues that needed owner input, and Munson and Associates — a professional group that provides project development services in senior care and residential services — to spearhead work on design, staffing, licensing and operational details.

“This project is in our hometown,” Hunter says. “Our office is in Bedford. I’m a Bedford resident, as is our owner, Mark Walsh, and many of our employees. It made it extra special. Working with the town of Bedford is always a pleasure, and we enjoyed that partnership as well.

“It’s great to be able to build first-class facilities for our community. We know Bowman Place at Olde Bedford will offer a rich and rewarding lifestyle to senior residents for many, many years.”

Key Partners

EGA Architects

EGA.net

TFMoran, Inc.

tfmoran.com

Jobin Construction Consultants

jobinconstructionconsultants.com

Metro Walls

metrowalls.net

SL Chasse Steel

slchassesteelfab.com

JDS Flooring Associates

floornh.com

Florence Electric

teamfloco.com

Denron Plumbing & HVAC

denronph.com