The Rivermark Centre project transformed a building that was once the cornerstone of downtown Baton Rouge’s business district into a vibrant mixed-use development encompassing commercial spaces, modern offices, retail outlets and upscale residential units.

Renovating the former Chase South Tower in a busy urban neighborhood presented many challenges for the construction team. “Limited space, coordination with surrounding businesses, traffic management, noise and dust control, and ensuring safety were among the key obstacles faced,” contractor Lemoine noted in its Best Projects entry.

Working within tight spaces, the team deployed logistical planning and implemented just-in-time practices to optimize space utilization and coordinated with local authorities, businesses and residents to develop a traffic management plan to minimize disruptions and inconveniences.

Being a good neighbor was important to Lemoine. Crews erected noise barriers, and adherence to regulations and dust control strategies was maintained to ensure a good relationship with neighboring groups.

Photo courtesy Lemoine

Additionally, the contractor’s ensuring safety for both workers and citizens in a busy urban area was key. “Clear construction site boundaries, barricades and regular safety training was employed to safeguard workers, pedestrians and nearby structures,” the general contractor noted.

Lemoine utilized lean construction principles and detailed planning and the use of BIM while also facilitating efficient scheduling and sequencing of activities to avoid delays and conflicts.

Renovating a six-decade-old building required some heavy lifting, literally and figuratively, including a concrete skylight structure.

“Working closely with structural engineers, we assessed the weight limitations of the plaza deck and devised a strategy to dismantle the skylight structure safely,” Lemoine noted in its contest entry. Traditional demolition methods proved impractical for this task, prompting the team to explore alternative solutions by working closely with contractors who specialize in concrete wire sawing to devise a dismantling method.