by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Over the next 18 months, the Charles E. Bennett Federal Building on West Bay Street will get an extensive internal overhaul.
The $25 million project will address the entire interior of the building and includes everything from abatement to modernization. A year and a half ago, the General Services Administration awarded the demolition and modernization job to Skanska USA Building, Inc. — the same construction company that built the new United States Courthouse at Jacksonville and is still negotiating with the City to serve as the construction manager of the new $211 million county courthouse complex.
Joe McDade, a senior project manager with Skanska, said his company’s previous roles in federal projects certainly played a role in getting this federal job.
“I think they liked that Skanska had done other work in Jacksonville,” said McDade. “We’ve been successful in the past teaming with GSA on projects. We did the federal courthouse in Knoxville and here. We were up against several other large contractors and made it to GSA’s short list. Then, we had to go up to Atlanta for a two-hour interview and presentation.”
Work started last week and the initial phases will be dominated by preparing areas for demolition. Because the 40-year-old building has its share of lead paint and asbestos, all of the walls are covered with plastic and duct tape. On floors eight and up, workers in contamination-proof suits are already removing the contaminants, which were common building supplies in the 1960s.
McDade stressed that in addition to the abatement work, the renovation job is much more about modernizing an old building.
“We are calling it a remodel/modernization,” said McDade, explaining that the building will be entirely rewired and a new HVAC system will be installed. The improvements are long overdue and will help to better serve the building’s tenants. “I think this building finally got on the [feds’] radar screen. There are probably several other federal buildings in the area [the Southeast] that need work.”
Once each floor is prepped, the laminate tile will be removed, the walls torn down, the existing ceilings removed and most of that will be bagged for proper disposal. McDade explained that the lead paint-covered walls and anything containing asbestos will be taken to a special facility in Georgia and incinerated.
When the renovations are finished, visitors will probably notice the biggest difference in the lobby where a Coral Gables-based architectural firm, Rodriguez and Quiroga, will employ techniques that will brighten the area considerably.
Externally, there are only plans to replace the pavers and the Bay Street front entrance steps. Once complete, the IRS, the Department of Labor and Department of Housing and Urban Development will occupy the building.