VIDEO: 45 Feet Below Grade on Construction Site of Brown University’s New Performing Arts Center
Friday, November 15, 2019
GoLocalProv went LIVE on the construction site of Brown University’s new Performing Art Center in Providence — and got some insights into the project from both construction professionals and Brown University officials, 45 feet below ground.
In February, Brown unveiled the design of the new performing arts center — which is targeted for completion in spring of 2022.
PHOTOS: See Construction Site BELOW
“We’re standing in one of the rehearsal studios that will be part of the new Brown arts initiative in 2022,” said Mike Kotuby with Shawmut. “We’ve been on-site enabling for the Performing Arts Center since last summer, which involved about six months of infrastructure work.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“We’re at the deepest elevation — it took us about 10 months to get down here,” said Kotuby. “We started with drilling…and removal, and we did some microfracturing, as we hit competent rock. We had about 20 feet of solid ledge we had to fracture and remove from the site.”
“That brought us to the end of September, early October where we started our concrete foundations, and really hit the ground running November 1 when the tower crane was erected,” he added. “That’s going to facilitate the next six months or of concrete work, that should go through late winter, early spring, quickly followed by our structural steel.”
Kotuby spoke to the recent arrival of the crane — which from the base to the top measures 227 feet.
"And two inches," added Kotuby.
“It’s a pretty rigorous selection process for what kind of crane [we choose] because it can provide the most efficient and productive use for everybody on site — and the community as well, for everything that comes to and from this site,” said Kotuby. “At the end of the day, who we try to do is deliver a world-class product to Brown — our clients — in a safe and efficient way.”
Mike Guglielmo, Vice President for Facilities Management at Brown, was on hand to talk about the university’s vision — and unique nature of the project.
“It’s been quite a journey — it’s probably been 25-30 years in the making. The arts have always been key and essential to Brown University’s education and this project really took hold in the last three or four years,” said Guglielmo. “It takes support from the entire university community, starting with the President, and many, many corporation members. Part of President Paxson’s tenure here is building our distinction -- and the arts were essential to how Brown would move forward in the future. “
“This is one of the deepest construction projects that has occurred at Brown, 45 feet below grade — we don’t have any other buildings at that deep,” he said. “It’s been pretty exciting, and I think a lot of excitement around the community here to see us excavate to this level.”
Related Slideshow: Brown Performing Arts Center Construction - November 2019
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