Graciano Wins 3 Restoration Jobs

Graciano Corporation won three new restoration contracts in the New York metropolitan area, including The Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Waldorf-Astoria and the Ward's Island Wastewater Treatment Buildings.

Work on The Cloisters will include replication and replacement of numerous Mission-style tiles, cleaning and repointing of the building's granite facades, and probing of the structure's stonework to identify hidden structural problems.

The Waldorf-Astoria project will include rebuilding sections of the structure's parapets and replacement of stone features, such as lintels, sills and decorative carvings. Brickwork at the corners of the building will be replaced with custom-matched bricks and stone features will be restored with materials selected to integrate seamlessly with the colors, textures and appearances of the building's original architectural details.

Ward's Island work will include brick restoration, removal, restoration and replacement of spandrel covers and other carved stone features, and removal, cataloging, repair and replacement of the structure's ornamental aluminum trim elements.

Harlem Auto Mall Under Construction

The new Harlem Auto Mall for General Motors Corporation and Potamkin Auto is being built by Jeffrey M. Brown Associates.

Located on the block bounded by East 127th and East 128th Streets, Second and Third Avenues, it will include a parking area of approximately 27,000 sq. ft. and several "L" shaped buildings to be occupied by one of the six auto dealerships the site is large enough to accommodate.

Building exteriors will feature the large glass storefronts that are common to most automobile dealerships. Two floors will be surfaced with prefabricated metal panels and/or concrete. The upper floors will have exterior panels with operable windows.

The design/build project began in late summer and will be completed by December 2004.

Leon C. DeMatteis Construction Company completed the project 805 days after being awarded the design-build contract. The project encompassed 440,000 sq. ft. on 19 acres of the former Creedmore Hospital site.

The three school buildings are steel framed with concrete decks and incorporate brick and curtain wall stair towers with translucent panel canopies. All schools are air conditioned and include an auditorium, media center, cafeteria, gymnasium, special education rooms, computer and science labs and science demonstration rooms.

DeMatteis prepared contract documents based on concept and preliminary drawings in such a manner to permit construction activities to start before the full set of contract documents were completed.

Pre-Construction Finished At The Shops

The Shops at Atlas Park has completed its first phase of pre-construction, including initial site preparation and the demolition of six buildings.

Eight additional buildings will be fully demolished and three others will be partially demolished as part of the second phase of pre-construction. Manafort Brothers International of Plainville, Conn., was the demolition contractor for the project.

The Shops will be located on a 2.5-acre parcel in the Glendale sections of Queens and will feature 60 stores and restaurants comprising 275,000 sq. ft. of space, 1,200 covered parking spaces and 110,000 sq. ft. of office space in new and renovated buildings. It is scheduled to open spring 2005.

Bronx Zoo Lion House To Be Renovated

Hill International, Inc. will provide construction management/build services for the $20 million reconstruction of the historic Lion House at the Bronx Zoo.

Hill was awarded a three-year contract by the New York City Department of Design and Construction to reconstruct the 18,000-sq.-ft. landmark building. The project will involve major infrastructure work, including roof and façade work to restore the animal friezes and sculptures to their original splendor.

Once renovated, the Lion House will have two separate, but interconnected, functions. One half of the building will be a multi-use space, serving as a place for community meetings, educational activities and other general public events. The other half will house a dynamic new animal exhibit dedicated to an appreciation of wildlife and conservation, focused on smaller animal species appropriate to the scale of the building.