Pinkard Construction has completed Phase I of the Jacoby Meadows Senior Affordable Apartments project for Windsor Housing Authority’s (WHA). The milestone was celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the project site earlier this week.
“Jacoby Meadows will provide safe, affordable housing for seniors, helping to enrich our community,” said Windsor Mayor Julie Cline in her remarks, acknowledging the long, nine-year process of turning the development into a reality. “With today's addition of Jacoby Meadows, the Town of Windsor will now have over 200 affordable housing units in our community... I'm proud to what we can accomplish when everyone puts their heart into a worthwhile project.”
Developed by partnership of Pinkard Construction, Windsor Housing Authority, Loveland Housing Authority (LHA) and WORKSHOP8 Architecture, the two-phased project initially creates 62 units serving low to moderate income seniors (30-80% of area median income) over the age of 55. The second phase, which is still seeking funding, will add an additional 61 units.
Despite several early challenging unforeseen conditions and numerous inclement weather days the 13-month, $18 million project finished on time and in budget, thanks in part to some creative construction brainstorming and a state-of-the-art approach to wood framing.
During the sewer tie-in phase, construction crews encountered an unexpected “bedrock-like layer” that stopped just short of requiring blasting to penetrate. During the actual sewer tie-ins, unexpected groundwater became an additional concern, requiring an extended dewatering phase.
To keep the project in budget given those unforeseen conditions, the owner-architect-contractor (OAC) team had to work collaboratively to find value engineering solutions as the project progressed. In one such solution, the OAC team was able to find a quarter of a million dollars in savings by switching exterior siding systems.
Similarly, Pinkard's in-house wood framing division, Pinkard Frameworks, provided exceptional construction efficiencies to keep the project on schedule. Tasked with providing more than 63,000 sf of framing for the three-story complex, the Frameworks team began an exhaustive constructability and quality control effort during preconstruction, thoroughly vetting the framing design for layout, detailing, fit and finish. Procurement and site logistics were also high priorities, resulting in the team making expeditious progress from the start of construction and completing most of the framing in less than two months, even with 13 weather days.
“Self-performing the framing in-house is so beneficial,” says Pinkard Project Manager Reid Kalsow. “We had our framing superintendent on-site early, working with the concrete contractor to make sure the embeds and hold-downs were installed just right, so that when framing started there were no hiccups. As a result, we got a better-quality structure framed at a faster pace.”
Eric Hull, Director of Real Estate Development for Loveland Housing Authority, commented: "Today, we celebrate the power of partnership. The completion of Jacoby Meadows Phase I was made possible through the dedication of our investors, the crucial support of the Town of Windsor, and the unwavering commitment of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) and the Colorado Division of Housing (CDOH). For seniors aged 55+ earning 30%-80% of the Area Median Income, this building represents stability and a vibrant community where residents can thrive for years to come. Pinkard Construction did another outstanding job of bringing to life the designs that were collaboratively developed by Workshop8 (Architecture), TB Group (Land Planning and Landscape Architecture), and EPS Group (Civil Engineering).”
The community is named after John “Johnny” Jacoby, a beloved Windsor resident who was senselessly gunned down in 2015 while riding his bike near the building site, in a case that remains unsolved today. As part of the project, the Johnny Jacoby memorial statue was moved to its new permanent home in front of the building’s main entrance, along with a commemorative plaque. Jacoby’s family also spoke at the ribbon cutting.
“We just want to always uphold Johnny's memory,” added LHA’s Eric Hull, “and we're just thrilled for the opportunity to honor his legacy with this project and help keep that alive.”
