Schimenti Construction begins partnership with Panera Bread

Schimenti Construction Company is building a $1.5 million Panera Bread bakery/café on Fifth Ave. The company began the project in September and will complete construction in January 2014. Schimenti is excited to partner with Panera Bread, one of BusinessWeek's 100 Hot Growth Companies, with more than 1,700 locations in 44 states. "This 16-week project presents some unique challenges," said senior project manager, Billy Collins. "The building's roof is low and set back, which makes some of the mechanical work more difficult. We will need to remove an existing masonry wall to allow access to the low roof, to be able to set mechanical equipment. And, because the space incorporates the basement and first floor, we need to install vertical transportation, which can be time consuming. I'm glad to say that our professionals have devised ways to accommodate these issues while keeping to the timeline." The 6,830 s/f two-story space is located at 330 Fifth Ave., at the corner of 33rd St. in a space that formerly housed a Burger King restaurant. The project architect is Smart Design of Batavia, N.Y.