THe Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA)
Development of a new headquarters building in Rockville, Maryland
| Size | Substantial Completion | Architect | Added Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40,000 SF | Fall 2008 | Barry Dunn & Associates | 2% under budget |
The Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA) is a non-sectarian, non-profit organization that provides mental health evaluation and treatment for children and adults, case management and other supportive services for individuals with disabilities, career counseling and rehabilitation services, supportive employment, and administrative services in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
When it contacted Blake Real Estate, the JSSA had already identified a 1.3-acre parcel of undeveloped land in the Fallsgrove section of Rockville, Maryland for its new headquarters building. The JSSA needed to engage a Development Manager to lead the project from beginning to end including coordination of the physical move into the new building.
The Challenge
The JSSA was faced with solving a myriad of logistical problems including seeking abatement of a development tax levy, working around a 48-inch high-pressure natural gas line in the middle of the site, organizing new utility services to the property, consolidating four existing sites into one location, and developing a security plan for a new, stand-alone headquarters building.
The Solution
As Development Manager, Blake worked with JSSA personnel to determine its requirements and to formulate a budget and schedule for the new 40,000-square-foot office building. Blake advised JSSA during the negotiations and purchase of the property, organized a selection process for the entire project team including civil engineer, base building and tenant architects, MEP engineer, and security consultant, and negotiated contracts for each of them.
Organizing the design process, Blake set up a strategy for the JSSA to conduct on-board reviews during the design process ensuring that the needs of individual JSSA programs were met. Chairing bi-weekly meetings through the entire construction process, Blake closely monitored the work in the field, administered the general contract, and coordinated changes requested by the Agency.
The project was delivered two percent under budget.