While providing a comprehensive forecast for the construction progress of Beacon 1 is somewhat of a challenge, given all of the moving parts, I can say with confidence that our new building remains a baseball’s throw away from our current offices at 1150 Old Pond Road.
But to keep everyone up to date about what is taking place right now, and what’s coming up next, here is a status update. For the most part, weather has cooperated this winter (we have had six “weather days”), and the exterior of the building is expected to be fully enclosed by the middle of April. Currently, the brick façade is being installed, after which the brick will be cleaned with an acid wash detergent, then aluminum “storefront frames” will be completed (storefront frames at west elevation pictured above), and external glass panels, “curtain walls”, will be installed after that. Following the enclosure of the building, the next projects will be the buildout of the sidewalks (targeted start date: April 14), the installation of the elevators (target completion date: May 1) and the installation of the solar panels on the roof and the solar canopy (target start date: May 15). The elevators and solar panels are both dependent on the completion of electrical wiring for the building, and the subsequent establishment of permanent power. The solar panels will be an innovative and green cost saving feature of Beacon 1; the power they generate will be used to light common areas throughout the building, including elevator lobbies on each floor, and when there is overflow produced, the energy can be sold back to Penn Power to reduce our monthly electric bill.
Waldron’s inter-department Beacon 1 design team is close to finalizing the interior layout and flow through for our new home. The team is working hard to create a space for team members that will emphasize the three C’s: Collaboration, Creativity and Concentration, which will be vital for continuing to provide our clients with the comprehensive and integrated service at the core of our offering, but also to foster additional innovation and ingenuity through collaboration. In addition, the team is working to deliver a welcoming and appealing space for clients and prospects conducting meetings in our new offices.
Interior construction of work stations, conference rooms and common areas is scheduled to begin in the middle of April and is expected to take about 16 weeks to complete.
