R.J. Griffin is Sky High

High-rise condo towers in Atlanta and Charlotte are keeping contractor busy—for now.

By Bea Quirk

Construction activity may be heading downward, but R.J. Griffin & Co. of Atlanta is building upward with two high-rise condominium tower projects.

The contractor is heading for a summer completion of its $138-million, 50-story Atlantic in Atlanta for owner The Novare Group of Atlanta. And its project in uptown Charlotte, the $143.4-million, 53-story Vue, which got under way in April 2008, is scheduled for an early 2011 completion.

Although these are the tallest structures that R.J. Griffin has constructed to date, it is no stranger to the multifamily residential market. The company has built nearly 26 million sq ft of such space in the Southeast since 1992.

The Atlantic The 401-unit Atlantic is one of the tallest buildings in Atlanta and the tallest structure in Atlantic Station, a brownfield redevelopment site. When R.J. Griffin broke ground on the art deco-style condo tower in February 2007, there were plans to build another tower adjacent to it. That created the need for “an elaborate logistical plan that was challenging from the outset,” says Ryan Price, vice president and group manager for R.J. Griffin & Co.

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Access to the two sites had to be shared, and schedules were tight. To ensure success at meeting the schedule, preinstallation meetings were held with subcontractors, which numbered about 70. At the peak of activity, there were about 1,000 workers onsite.

Though construction on the other tower was delayed, R.J. Griffin & Co. still followed the original plan. “It actually made things easier because the other site wasn’t there,” Price says.

The Atlantic topped out in November. At that point, 6,042 tons of reinforcing steel had been erected and 62,774 cu yds of concrete poured. There were 11 mast climbers atop nearly 5,000 ft of vertical truss structure.

The condo tower, designed by Atlanta’s Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart & Associates, sits atop a 1,264-space, eight-level parking deck. The tower includes 10,000 sq ft of retail and amenities that include an outdoor pool, lounge, library, exercise room, business conference room and theater. R.J. Griffin is also handling residential interior finishes and upgrades.

To keep a handle on scheduling, quality control and budget, the contractor has assigned six onsite supervisors to the project. One oversees construction of the parking deck, one the tower, two the interior build-outs, one for the building skin and another for the overall project.

”This was the only way to get a project of this size and scope together,” Price says.

The approach was helped cut costs, Price says. The original price tag for the project was $138 million, and Price says the contractor “will return savings to the owner. With the price of materials coming down and good management, we came in under budget.”

The Vue The Vue will be the second-tallest building in Charlotte after the 62-story Bank of America corporate headquarters. Bob Hillis, senior project manager for R.J. Griffin, says he expects the tower—being built for MCL Cos. of Chicago—to be topped out in October. There has been an average of 450 workers onsite every day, and that number is expected to peak at about 500.

A recent view of The Atlantic, under construction in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy R.J. Griffi n & Co.)

A 25-member onsite management and supervisory team is managing construction, which is taking place on a 1.16-acre lot bordered by two main downtown thoroughfares and located within a residential district that includes two other towers built by Griffin—Fifth & Poplar and City View.

“You really have to pay attention to details on a project of this size,” Hillis says. There is no laydown area, and deliveries are made directly from a truck to the building from a single street lane only allowed to be closed to traffic during the day. Debris netting around the site ensures the safety of cars and pedestrians below.

The Vue was designed by FS Architecture of St. Louis, Mo. Its foundation features 106 caissons with overlying grade beams and mat foundations to anchor the concrete, two-way, post-tensioned superstructure. Mechanical and electrical operations, a trash compactor with a recycling area, an elevator machine room and the fire pump and emergency generator rooms will be located below street level.

The first three above-ground floors will hold the lobby, conference and board rooms, a business center and office, an electrical room and retail space. Floors four through eight will house studio residences, and the eighth floor will also feature yoga and play rooms, cyber café and media room.

One, two and three-bedroom condominiums will fill the ninth through 50th floors with a penthouse suite on the 51st. The top two floors encompass the roof and house the cooling towers. R.J. Griffin is also handling the residential interior finishes and upgrades.

The contractor is simultaneously building a seven-floor, 761-space parking deck to the west of the tower. The two strictures will be connected at all seven levels. The eighth floor of the deck will feature an amenity pool deck.

Having two similar projects going on concurrently has proven beneficial, Price says. “We bounce ideas off each other about such things as scheduling and forecasting costs,” he adds.