Tocci Building Companies is nearing completion of Chelsea Place, a four-story, 56-unit apartment complex that will not only be certified LEED Silver, but will go from conception to occupancy in near record time thanks to a modular development system used in the construction process. Federal Realty broke ground on the project in November, steel began going up in January, MEP systems are now being put in place and a certificate of occupancy is expected by July 1st. Typically, a building of this type would have a construction schedule of over a year, but Chelsea Place will be ready for occupancy in less than nine months.
"What makes this project truly remarkable, aside from the high quality construction and the project's sustainable features, is the incredible speed at which this project went from conception to near completion with so few complications. This is groundbreaking modular construction," said John Tocci, chief enabling officer at Tocci.
Located at 1016 Revere Beach Parkway (Rte. 16), the four-story 56-unit building at Chelsea Place sits on top of a parking garage that was built on site at grade level, with the modular units set in place and attached on top of the concrete podium platform of the garage. "We are very excited to see this opportunity come to fruition so quickly," said John Hendrickson, COO of Federal Realty's Northeast portfolio. "Approaching development in this way on this specific location helps us realize more value over the long term for our real estate."
The complex is comprised of one, two, and two-plus bedroom units that range from 700 to1,000 s/f. Each unit has an open-concept kitchen with high-end stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and custom cabinets, and all bedrooms have walk-in closets. All residences have central air-conditioning and heat, en-suite laundry, enhanced sound and weather insulation systems, and balcony-style windows. Amenities include a welcoming lobby, community room, bicycle storage area, fitness center, and an outdoor patio gathering area. The complex is adjacent to the Chelsea Commons retail center and is connected to the Mill Creek pedestrian pathway.
This is not owner Federal Realty Investment Trust's first foray into residential construction but it is using a modular system. The REIT selected Cambridge-based Oaktree Development to assist in the project. Oaktree's founder Arthur Klipfel has developed a patented modular system called GreenStaxx that uses pre-designed and pre-engineered multi-level 'stacks' of residential units that are pre-assembled by Keiser, a modular company in Maine, then shipped to the site. The completed units or "boxes" are then assembled on site to complete the building. "Oaktree and Tocci's collaboration using this system has been enabling a remarkably smooth construction process," said Klipfel.
One of the many benefits of the modular construction, according to Tocci project manager Angelo Syrniotis, is that the units are constructed in a climate-controlled facility that also allows for improved quality control over conventional job site construction, which also reduces the length of time it takes to build. Tocci's extensive experience with Building Information Modeling (BIM) also allowed the project to be built with a minimum of change orders.
"Modular calls for a lot more 'thinking through' on a project, and BIM is a great way to accomplish that," said Kirsten Solerlund, virtual design and construction (VDC) modeler for Tocci. "Everything is so well thought out that you save a lot of time and on construction costs versus traditional construction methods."
Pre-leasing on the units has begun with Destiny Property Management.
Project Team:
General Contractor: Tocci Building Companies
Architect: Khalsa Design
Marketing/Property Management: Destiny Property Management
Civil Engineer: Bohler Engineering
Modular Construction: Keiser Industries
Engineer: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Acoustic Ceiling/Wall Panels: Fine Line Interiors
Public Relations: Nickerson PR