The downtown high-rise tower – the last phase of the one-square-block Mercantile Block development – was delivered on-time and on-budget despite the incorporation of almost $3 million in owner-initiated changes.
The project team exceeded the expectations of the owner by maintaining coordination throughout the lifespan of The Element, located above an occupied underground parking garage and connected to the occupied 35-story residential tower, Mercantile Place on Main.
Crews shared the same lobby for both The Element project and The Mercantile on Main project. That presented several challenges for the team, which had to isolate the life-safety systems and mechanical/electrical systems between occupied space and the new building being constructed. The project team stringently controlled the setting during the new construction of the occupied and operational residential tower, taking special consideration to minimize noise during construction to avoid disrupting the neighboring residents.
Discrepencies within construction drawings were minimized with the inclusion of the mechanical, electrical, fire protection, window/glazing and plaster subcontractors before The Element’s design was complete.
Key Players
Submitted by: Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
Owner: Forest City Enterprises Inc., Washington, D.C.
General contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Dallas
Architect of record: Beeler Guest Owens Architects, Dallas
Design architect: DiMella Shaffer, Boston
MEP engineer: NELCO, Richardson
Civil engineer: brockettedavisdrake, Dallas
Structural engineer: Datum Engineers Inc., Dallas
Concrete contractor: Altura Concrete Inc., Addison
Electrical contractor: System Electric Co., Plano
Glazing contractor: TEPCO Contract Glazing Inc., Dallas
