Ribbon cuttings, truss raises, ground blessings and project site tours. Throw in a little happy hour networking for good measure, and June proved to be another eventful month. Also, The Common Place is going vertical – another mixed-use development we are excited to build.

Take a break from your endless scrolling to get the latest Greenfire updates here – the June 2022 edition of #TheSpark

The Common Place is a new mixed-use development that includes 88 residential units, ground floor retail space and an indoor climbing gym located in the Village of Ashwaubenon, right in the shadows of Lambeau Field.

The five-story structure consists of a precast concrete podium at grade level that supports four stick framed levels above. The ground floor features an 8,125 SF indoor climbing gym complete with a 45’ tall top rope climbing wall, a bouldering wall, and fitness area that includes a workout space and yoga studio. The ground floor also houses a resident lobby, common spaces and two retail areas. Other amenities include a manicured residential courtyard with locally sourced materials, balconies for select units, surface lot parking, and one year climbing memberships for the first round of tenants.

The exterior of the building is comprised of an array of materials including red brick, metal panels, powdered coated steel elements with geometric accents and a full height glass curtainwall at the northeast corner showcasing the climbing gym. Glass storefronts line the western elevation for the retail areas.

The Common Place is the first of three planned phases for the site which required detailed preplanning from the team to account for site utilities, layout, and subsequent developments. A groundbreaking ceremony in September 2021 marked initial construction with foundations completed in February 2022. The team completed the concrete podium in March followed by installation of two stormwater retention systems at opposite ends of the site.

Currently, the exterior metal panels for the climbing gym are installed with the curtainwall glazing completing in July. The team is at the halfway point for metal stud framing on the ground floor with second floor stick framing beginning in late June. Framing for all five floors is slated to be complete in late August with rough MEP installation complete in fall. The building is expected to be watertight in September with interior build-out and finishes to follow. The project is slated to be complete by the end of the year.

A unique project brings about unique project conditions. Our project team is working directly with Walltopia, a climbing wall manufacturer out of Bulgaria, to produce, ship and install all climbing walls. Due to supply chain shortages and sourcing materials internationally, the team is working with the Village of Ashwaubenon to stage early procured items and equipment at an adjacent parking lot. This is all in an effort to mitigate risk and keep the project on track. In July when the climbing gym is watertight, the space will serve as the staging area in order to keep all materials out of the harsh northern Wisconsin elements.

Additionally, since the site is in close proximity to Lambeau Field and construction will occur during the Packers’ season, the project team is being proactive by working with the Village and the Green Bay Packers organization to account for road closure and construction coordination logistics during home games.

We recognize that a project’s success is the result of a solid team. And when factoring in all of the conditions that need to be lined up interdependently in order to maintain the schedule, it requires communication with the entire team. We are fortunate to have quality, hardworking and adaptable subcontractors on-site who believe in the vision of the project. Our team is also working directly with Odyssey Climbing to coordinate and facilitate the build-out of the climbing gym. And finally, the team continually works with the owner to seek, review, and evaluate VE options to keep the project within budget.

We would like to recognize our project team for their hard work and innovative planning and anticipation which has made this project a success so far. The team includes Brett Christofferson, Senior Project Manager, Tim Koch, Superintendent, and Brandon Lehrer, Project Engineer. We would also like to thank Merge Urban Development Group for selecting Greenfire as their trusted construction partner and the opportunity to continue our strong partnership.

The Northern Operations office hosted a Fun @ Five event which is part of a larger networking series that the Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce puts on. The event drew members from the chamber of commerce and other local businesses who gathered outside the Greenfire office for light appetizers and a cocktail hour. Hosting the event was a great way for us to maintain our connections with the Wausau Chamber of Commerce and also establish new connections with key individuals and companies in the immediate area. We appreciate the Chamber working with us to put on this fantastic event and would like to thank all of those who attended.

New luxury housing has found its way into the City of Oconomowoc! Wangard Partners hosted a ribbon cutting and open house on June 7, to celebrate the Locklyn Apartments at Olympia Fields. The new multi-phased housing development is part of a larger mixed-use project that exemplifies the surrounding Lake Country area and natural landscape. Locklyn is a culmination many partners coming together that also includes City of Oconomowoc, Kahler Slater, raSmith and Associated Bank.

We are honored to serve as the CM on this transformative project and would like to thank Wangard for selecting Greenfire as their trusted building partner. The project team includes Mike Smith, Senior Project Manager, Eric Anderson, Superintendent, and Rob Norris, Project Engineer. We are proud of their determination and dedication and look forward to seeing continued success on site!

To learn more about the project, please click here.

The Phillis Wheatley Redevelopment site hosted the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development along with several State officials, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and Mayor Cavalier Johnson for a site tour and roundtable discussion. Royal Capital and Development Manager, Terrell Walter, led the tour along with the Greenfire project team to showcase resident units and detail the scope of work and amenities to be offered on site. Afterwards, the group held a roundtable discussion which focused on the state of affordable housing and how the Wheatley Redevelopment exemplifies the standard of affordable housing under the “Our Way Home” initiative.

We are honored to serve as the construction manager for this impactful project and would like to thank Royal Capital Group for selecting Greenfire as their trusted construction partner. The team is expecting to turn over the new construction multi-family building in July followed by the existing school renovation in August. We would also like to recognize our project team for their hard work, dedication, and determination in making this project a success. The team includes Gage Christianson, Project Manager, Tommy Cummings, Superintendent, Mike Holl, Superintendent, and Austin Stueck, Project Engineer.

The project team at the Mackson Corners Waterfront project hit a significant milestone this month as the team raised the last roof truss into place. A brief ceremony was held to commemorate the occasion which began with short remarks from Joy Hannemann, Partner at Merge Urban Development Group, as well as Kevin Hansen, Senior Project Manager of the project. The event concluded with project partners signing the last truss which was then raised into place.

Construction on The Waterfront started in October 2021 and is expected to turn over at the end of the year. It is part of a larger multi-phased project that is redeveloping the former industrial waterfront along the Fox River in Oshkosh. It’s constructed from a variety of building materials including a cast-in-place foundation with precast columns, beams and plank that supports a combination of structural steel on the ground floor and three residential floors of stick framing above housing 74 units.

In all, we are proud to take an active role in this visionary redevelopment effort – and one that includes the Brio building, another mixed-use project in Greenfire’s portfolio. The project team includes Kevin Hansen, Alan Augustynowicz, Superintendent, and Mariah Herron, Project Engineer. We would like to thank Merge for selecting Greenfire to carry out their vision and we are excited to partner once again with our friends at Slingshot Architecture on another transformative project.

To learn more about the project, please click here.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community held a ground blessing to commence the expansion of the existing health and wellness clinic on the FCP Reservation. In attendance were FCP Executive Council members, clinic director and staff, tribal members, and representatives from the project team including Greenfire, Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP and JSD Professional Services, Inc. Several individuals gave remarks including Executive Council Chairman, Ned Daniels Jr. The resounding message highlighted the importance of this project which is representative the tribe’s commitment to provide a wealth of health and wellness resources for its members. A ceremonial ground blessing concluded the event which featured a traditional drum circle.

The project includes a lobby addition that will improve the registration process, reconfiguration of exam rooms along with the renovation of a retail pharmacy that includes a vehicle drive-thru service. The expansion will also provide a canopy entryway to patient drop-off, along with increased space and privacy for check-in. This project will improve access to quality healthcare and pharmaceuticals for tribal members. Construction began in June and is expected to turnover in the fall of 2023.

May proved to be another busy and notable month for Greenfire. Three of our projects received award recognition, we were named a largest Milwaukee-area construction firm, and we also launched our 2021 Annual Report. The team at the Zuelke Building redevelopment in Appleton is also making fantastic progress.

Take a break from your endless scrolling to get the latest Greenfire updates here – the May 2022 edition of #TheSpark

What’s Forrest Gump’s password?

1forrest1!

Now that we have your attention, we reflect back on everyone’s favorite prank month. And what a month it was. We turned over the Tribute Apartments at the R1VER site. Held a ribbon cutting for Gateway Lofts. And attended a statewide conference. All while we were awarded CM work on three separate projects.

This might be a newsletter you don’t want to miss. Check out our April 2022 edition of #TheSpark

The Zuelke is the historic renovation and adaptive reuse of the Zuelke Building in Appleton, WI into a mixed-use residential property.

The building is located in downtown Appleton and was built by Irving Zuelke, a local music shop owner, who opened it as a seven-story office building in 1931 and later expanded to 12 stories in 1951. Prior to the office tower, the site saw many iterations of structures, all lost to fires. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and is thus receiving historic tax credits.

Cautious after the previous fires that happened on this site, Mr. Zuelke wanted to build a fire-proof building using steel, stone, marble, and brass. The characteristic marble throughout the building was purchased by Zuelke from a local church that procured it from Eastern Tennessee. The accompanied light fixtures and decorations spread throughout were of the unique style that Zuelke preferred and added to the building.

Currently, the construction team is working on all 12 floors adapting the former office building into a 66-unit market rate apartment building with commercial space on the first floor.

The renovation includes installation of all new MEPFP systems throughout the building along with modernizing and restoring the existing elevator shafts. Twelve new HVAC shaft run from the 3^rd floor all the way up to the roof. The team is working diligently to fire rate and protect all shafts.

On the exterior, the team cut new holes in the roof to install new roof curbs for HVAC ventilation and will install a new rooftop generator. Crews are also meticulously working to wash and remove decades of soot and stain on the west elevation. Early restoration work already sees the façade being restored to its original character.

As with any historic renovation, the team cannot know what to expect until demolition begins. Because of the solid construction of the building, installation of MEP systems and duct work is especially tricky. The steel beams are cased in concrete which diminishes head room for duct installation. Also, locating positioning of floor joists is critical for shaft and plumbing placement which requires extensive field measuring and layout prior to rough installation to mitigate structural damage. This required revised floor layouts of some units based on the shaft size and location. The same occurrence is also apparent for plumbing of all unit bathrooms. The team is also working with the National Parks Service to ensure proper historic renovation procedures and standards are followed. This includes repurposing marble from former corridor restrooms to be used for unit windowsills.

We are incredibly proud of the teamwork and quality of work seen at the Zuelke renovation. All trades are working seamlessly together to present solutions for modernizing an historic and structurally challenging building. The communication and teamwork are further exemplified as schedule float is minimized and there have been zero lost hours of work due to accidents. These accomplishments demonstrate our preconstruction team’s level of detailed qualification and vetting of trade partners which gives our operations team the confidence knowing they have the right partners on board.

We would like to thank Tegethoff Development for selecting Greenfire as their trusted building partner. Their team brings a straight-forward approach to decision making which helps our team communicate to all trades quickly. We would also like to recognize our project team for their hard work, determination, and adaptability on this historic renovation. The team includes Brett Christofferson, Senior Project Manager, Craig Bailey, Superintendent, and Mariah Herron, Project Engineer.