J&M Brown completes electrical construction of Fidelity Investments new headquarters

Boston, MA J&M Brown Company (JMB) has completed the comprehensive electrical fit-out of Fidelity Investments’ new world headquarters facility at 245 Congress St. in the city’s Seaport District. The 600,000 s/f build-out of Fidelity’s offices is central to the redevelopment of Commonwealth Pier, formerly the Seaport World Trade Center. The electrical construction project scope encompassed JMB’s installation of all electrical systems, including power distribution, lighting, and fire alarm systems, across all three floors of the 1,220 foot-long building.

The J&M Brown electrical project team, headed by senior project manager Pat O’Neil, and general foremen Bill Marchant and Mike O’Hare, supervised a field crew of 75 electricians at peak construction.

The power distribution requirements included JMB’s installations of 22 electrical closets, which house 400A electrical panels, switchboards and circuit breakers. The energy-efficient lighting and lighting control system at Fidelity’s HQ offices includes more than 14,000 LED lighting fixtures, with custom decorative fixtures and millwork fixtures. The facility’s atrium incorporates four interior courtyards, complete with an architecturally designed water feature and accent lighting.

J&M Brown’s prefabrication of electrical, lighting and fire alarm components has enhanced the efficiency of the project. The electrical team worked more than 9,000 man-hours in their prefabrication facility for the project.

The fire alarm system project, headed by J&M Brown fire alarm division project manager Paul Healey, and general foremen Alan Mahagan and Jim Heffernan, includes the installation of more than 2,150 fire alarm devices - smoke and heat detectors, speakers, and strobes, which tie into the base building fire alarm system. The base building fire alarm system at Commonwealth Pier was also installed by J&M Brown.

The nearly three-year electrical construction project, which JMB commenced in late summer 2023, was completed as scheduled in June. Fidelity Investments took occupancy of the Seaport headquarters in September and the international investment company will have 2,100 staff members working on a full-time schedule at the Commonwealth Pier building.

J&M Brown Sr. PM O’Neil credits excellent project coordination among all trades, and headed by general contractor Turner Construction, as a critical factor in achieving the project’s demanding scope. Project planning, and the coordination of the electrical crew concurrently working on various aspects of the electrical fit-out across the vast 420,000 s/f facility, have been major challenges met by the NECA Boston contractor.