New England Construction completes Bayside YMCA Hall Family Center and Collis Aquatics Center

On June 27, after years of planning and fundraising, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee dedicated the new Bayside YMCA Hall Family Center and Collis Aquatics Center - 50 years after his late father and former Governor John Chafee had dedicated the original facility. The dedication of the newly renovated facility was a culmination of events and fiscal challenges over the past three years that had stalled the construction project. Originally, the YMCA of Greater Providence and Bayside's capital campaign committee began a campaign to raise approximately $10 million. As the official fundraising began, the recession slowed their efforts. Not deterred by the sluggish fundraising, the committee and members continued their efforts and despite the fiscal challenge, fund-raisers managed to meet their goal and construction commenced. The completion of the Hall Family Center & Collis Aquatics Center is part of a two-phase plan to upgrade and improve the Bayside Family YMCA; a facility that was originally constructed more than 50 years ago. The YMCA of Greater Providence officials recognized the increasing need to expand the Barrington, Rhode Island facility. The existing building was congested by a growing membership, accessibility issues for members with disabilities was a significant issue and the facility was simply not adequate to meet the growing demand for programs and services. In June 2012, New England Construction was engaged as construction manager to facilitate the renovation and addition as designed by Vision 3 Architects of Providence. The project encompassed the renovation of more than 35,980 s/f of existing space and construction of the new 24,340 s/f Hall Family Center & Collis Aquatics Center addition. The new Collis Aquatics Center houses a six-lane in-ground lap pool, as well as a shallow two-lane family-friendly swimming pool. The family-friendly swimming pool offers a Family Splash Zone - a fun space for children and adults to exercise and play. A specialized hydraulic chair offers those with physical challenges the ability to enter and exit the pool safely. The aquatics center features a bright and spacious new locker and shower area for men, women, families and those who require special assistance. The new lockers were manufactured from recycled materials and are rust-resistant. A new favorite for members in the locker room area are the swimsuit water extractors or "spinners" that help to dry wet swimming suits. Throughout construction, Bayside YMCA remained operational (with support services provided from other local YMCA locations) to continue to serve its membership. "Weekly look ahead planning meetings with Bayside's staff were focused on avoiding potential impacts on the membership. Constant communication with members and a steadfast dedication to safety were critical as every area of the existing facility was affected," said Bob Lake, New England Construction's project manager. "The growing membership and dedicated staff at Bayside were always totally excited and very supportive during every phase of this project." The new Hall Family Center houses a children's area and a babysitting room that is sectioned into four play areas for children ages six months to ten years old. A new lounge area overlooking the pool features desktop computers, wifi accessibility, vending machines and a microwave. Additionally, the gym, fitness and wellness center were upgraded with life safety improvements to comply with current building codes. A new member-friendly reception, lobby area and front desk have been expanded and renovated for better circulation and utilization. Several upgrades and enhancements to the existing facility to ensure adequate accessibility for members with disabilities were critical, including the addition of a new elevator. Additionally, major upgrades to the existing site design were executed to improve traffic flow and increase the allotment of spaces for parking. "Our entire team recognized that Bayside YMCA is considered an integral part of the community and serves thousands of residents from the Rhode Island communities of Barrington, Bristol, Riverside and Warren on a daily basis," said John Pignataro, president & COO of New England Construction. "Our team did an exceptional job of maintaining budget, ensuring consistent communication with the YMCA directors, staff and members, and safely bringing this project to fruition more than a month ahead of schedule - upholding our mission of serving our clients with integrity, commitment and excellence."