Constructing with Care
Program Manager: Impact Development Management
Architect Name: Smith Dalia Architects
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Project Overview: Mercy Care is an organization that provides federal qualified healthcare for the homeless community. They operate with compassion and care, committed to serving the needs of the poor. As a part of their mission, leaders solicited donations to fund an adjacent facility that would double their capacity to serve the large homeless population within the surrounding Sweet Auburn district. Hodges & Hicks General Contractors was selected to provide preconstruction, value engineering and general contracting services to bring Mercy Care’s vision to life with care.
Highlights:
- Careful planning and coordination helped maintain existing operations – such as patient care, public safety and traffic circulation – while constructing the addition.
- Preconstruction efforts optimized the building to make the most of the funds while maintaining the mission of this non-profit organization.
- Close collaboration with the architect led to a significant value engineering effort, allowing the client to maintain the building’s exterior aesthetic and initial design intent through use of an innovative Kalwall system.
- Clear pedestrian thoroughfares were carefully maintained, allowing staff and customers to easily enter and exit the building during construction.
- Extensive coordination of building tie-ins, including new daylit internal bridge, a covered exterior colonnade and an entry canopy as well as all mechanical systems – sprinklers, fire alarms, and HVAC.
- Proper coordination of construction sequencing activities with interior renovation contractor to avoid unnecessary disruptions with materials deliveries and provide uniformity in interior and exterior design.
- Problem solving with engineer for unforeseen field conditions.
Results: The new expansion doubles the size of the existing Decatur Street campus while allowing for future growth. This extends access of Mercy Care’s services to thousands more behavioral, dental and vision patients while providing room for partner organizations to provide services for employment, housing, personal identification documents, benefits and food resources. Hodges & Hicks General Contracting teams connected to Mercy Care’s mission, helping them provide continual service while forging a path for the future.
Project Scope
The McAuley Park Medical Office Building (MOB) for Mercy Care was a ground-up new building constructed adjacent to the existing two-story facility. The MOB adds a 3-story 36,000 sf building incorporating a resource center, human resource area, volunteer services, admin services, and physician offices to the existing Mercy Care campus.
Schedule: April 2021 – March 2022
