Hollister Construction Services, a leading full-service construction manager specializing in healthcare, educational, corporate, industrial, retail and residential construction,will break ground on the construction of LifeTown, a new, 47,000sf complex for the Friendship Circle. The new facility will serve young people with special needs, allowing them to come and experience everyday activities in a controlled environment. The groundbreaking ceremony took place Monday, June 6, at the project site in Livingston, NJ.
A simulated Main Street, known as LifeVillage, will stand at the center of LifeTown, helping to prepare participants with special needs for independent living. A full-size mockup of a town center, LifeVillage will feature storefronts including a bank and florist, food and book store, a salon, pet shop, health-care facility, synagogue, café and theater.
“LifeTown will make a difference in the lives of people with special needs from throughout our region and beyond. It will put New Jersey on the map as a key resource in creating a truly integrative setting where individuals with special needs will participate in programs and activities side-by-side with the greater community,” said LifeTown Executive Director Zalman Grossbaum. “We thank Hollister Construction Services, and all our partners in this venture, for their hard work to ensure that the dream of LifeTown becomes a reality.”
The Friendship Circle, one of the fastest growing organizations for children with special needs, retained Hollister to help them bringtheirvision for the facility to life. The project entailstransforming a former warehouse into a town center featuring recreational, therapeutic and educational facilities, all catering to the needs of children, teens and adults. The center will also provide leadership training facilities for the families and community at large and include an indoor sensory park with a gated entrance, trees, benches, a rock-climbing wall, swings and slides.
LifeTown, a first of its kind in the region, will provide a wide range of facilities, each with its own purpose. From a sand room for tactile therapy to mock retail stores for instructions on self-reliance within society, the center will redefine the landscape for children, teens and adults with special needs.
During the preconstruction phase, the Hollister team collaborated closely with Friendship Circle, Avison Young and Rotwein+Blakethrough various working sessions, analyzing the existing building and its systems. Through this process, the team ensured the final design would meet expectations and achieve the vision. The project team also conducted various value engineering sessions with all potential subcontractors, leading to significant savings in the project while maintaining the integrity of the design.
“The entire team is excited and honored to be a part of this very special project. Knowing that the construction of this state-of-the-art facility will contribute to elevating the minds and spirits of thousands of people in the community is both empowering and inspiring,” said Tony Bienert, project executive at Hollister.
Hollister is a leading construction management firm in New Jersey with extensive experience delivering educational facilities throughout New Jersey and New York. The firm’s portfolio of notable projects includes K-12 private institutions, urban charter schools and higher-education institutions throughout the tri-state area. Most recently, the company completed five new charter schools located in Newark and Jersey City and a multi-phase renovation for the Pingry School Lower School, an independent day school in Short Hills, NJ. In addition, Hollister is nearing completion on the construction of Gill St. Bernard’s new recreational facility in Gladstone, NJ.
The Hollister team leading this effort includes Tony Bienert, project executive; Keith Lovas, senior project manager; Jon Schoenleber, pre-construction project manager, Vincent DeCaro, assistant project manager; Michelle Rogers, project coordinator, and Andrew Devennie, senior estimator. Avison Young is the owner’s representative, with Rotwein+BlakeAssociated Architects providing architectural services and KEA Engineers providing the engineering services.
For more information about Hollister Construction Services, please contact Mark Faris of Shea Communications at 212 627-5766,ormfaris@sheacommunications.com.
About Hollister Construction Services
Hollister Construction Services is a full-service construction manager specializing in healthcare, corporate, educational, industrial, retail, and residential construction, with offices in Parsippany, Newark and Trenton, N.J., and New York City. Distinguished by the exceptional involvement of its principals in projects of all sizes, Hollister is committed to building sound relationships and structures in the New Jersey and New York markets.
Hollister works through its own independent philanthropic organization, The Hollister Foundation, to further its community outreach activities. The Foundation’s mission is to raise and distribute funds for organizations that foster children’s advancement through education and health initiatives.
About Friendship Circle
The Friendship Circle is today’s fastest growing Jewish organization for children with special needs. With over 79 locations worldwide the Friendship Circle has cultivated friendships between 5,000 special children and close to 11,000 teen volunteers.
The Friendship Circle’s unique approach brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower the children, our special friends, while enriching the lives of everyone involved.
About Avison Young
Avison Young is the real estate partner businesses trust for intelligent, integrated solutions. As a full-service provider, they can deliver results aligned with clients’ strategic business objectives, supporting real estate initiatives that add value and build competitive advantage for organizations. It is their commitment to clients to innovate and ensure the highest level of quality, service and performance that build relationships and create exceptional value.
About Rotwein+Blake Associated Architects
Since its founding in 1955,Rotwein+Blake has left an imprint that has shaped the landscape and impacted an immeasurable number of clients, businesses, and peoples’ lives. The partnership of Edward Blake and Donald Rotwein established the tradition of providing business-centric solutions in an ethical, collaborative, diligent and highly personalized manner. Honed after nearly six decades, the longevity of Rotwein+Blake rests in the firm’s commitment to continually improve the entire process for our clients, creating economic, and innovative solutions with unparalleled technical skills, combined with an emphasis on excellent service.
