Boston, MA Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing building programs has earned an Excellence in Construction® (EIC) from the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Massachusetts for it’s work on Edgerley Family Horizons Center. The EIC awards program is the industry’s leading competition that honors both general and specialty contractors for world-class, safe, and innovative construction projects. The Eagle Award is an honor reserved for work that stands above the rest. It recognizes overall excellence in project execution, craftsmanship, safety, innovative elements and challenges, and client satisfaction. This is the fifth time Kaplan has earned the Eagle Award.

Horizons for Homeless Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families, selected Kaplan for the construction of a new 55,000 s/f early childhood center and headquarters at 1785 Columbus Ave. in Roxbury. The new facility consolidated three existing centers into one, allowing Horizons to serve 30% more children in a space better suited to high-quality early childhood education and programming for families working to establish stability. The Edgerley Center enabled Horizons to create a social services hub and a sense of community for families experiencing homelessness. Serving 225 children experiencing homelessness ranging in age from two months to five years, the center began welcoming families in April of 2021.

Over 225 ABC members gathered at the Westin Waltham Hotel on November 17^th to recognize and celebrate the best construction projects its companies have to offer. This year’s applicant pool was particularly competitive, with each winner selected for the high standards of craftsmanship, safety, and quality delivered by talented merit shop workers using the efficient merit shop approach.

The Massachusetts Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors is the largest construction trade association in the Commonwealth, representing nearly 500 local general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers and associate companies that employ over 20,000 workers throughout Massachusetts.

The project team members for the Edgerley Family Horizons Center include:

• Owner: Horizons for Homeless Children
• Owner’s representative: Jonathan Lavash project management, LLC
• Developer: Watermark Development, Inc.
• Construction manager: Kaplan Construction
• Architect: studio MLA Architects
• MEP engineer: AHA Engineers.

“One of the biggest challenges we faced was the construction shutdown in Boston in March 2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nathan Peck, president of Kaplan Construction. “We worked with the City of Boston to get the renovation approved as an essential construction project, citing the emergency nature of the families that are served by Horizons. Working closely with the organization, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we implemented a site-specific safety plan to comply with all COVID-19 related regulations throughout the project. We delivered this project safely, on time, and on budget and are honored to be recognized for our work with this EIC Eagle Award.”

“We are proud to recognize the outstanding work of our member contractors through the ABC Excellence in Construction Awards,” said ABC MA president Greg Beeman. “The winning contractors maintained a constant focus on meeting their clients’ needs and set a high bar for craftsmanship, quality, and safety.”