Collaboration, Creativity and JOC Key to Elevator Modernization

Challenge: Aging Elevator Compromises Rider Experience

Imperial Point is more than a library. It’s a gathering place, a community hub where residents of a seaside area of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, many of whom are elderly, can meet, socialize, participate in various arts and crafts events and learn new things. Flanked by vibrant Florida palms, Imperial Point Library plays an important role in local civic life as one of the area’s central polling locations. The library has served its community well, but over time it developed a problem: the elevator consistently malfunctioned as a result of regular flooding and damage to the elevator pit and equipment.

To improve the library experience for its patrons, and with local elections and a presidential primary upcoming, the Imperial Point Library’s elevator issues needed to be remedied on a tight time frame.

Solution: Gordian’s Job Order Contracting (JOC) Opens Doors to Efficient and Collaborative Project Delivery

The Broward County Construction Management Division was tasked with tackling this unique project quickly and with a sharp eye on costs, and officials selected Gordian’s Job Order Contracting (JOC) to deliver the work based on its track record with the county. A unique delivery method that enables many projects to be completed with one contract, JOC accelerates the time to construction significantly. But that’s not the only advantage it offers.

As Bryce W. Bounds, AIA, NCARB, CGC, Construction Project Management Supervisor for Broward County Public Works, Construction Management Division, explains, “Job Order Contracting allows departments in Broward County Public Works to contract construction work promptly at fair market rates, while adhering to state and county procurement codes. It aids us in serving the fiscal and facility needs of our taxpaying public.”

See more about how JOC benefits Gordian’s customers, JOC contractors and communities across North America in this comprehensive video series.

While efficiency is JOC’s calling card, the construction procurement method is also heralded for emphasizing collaboration over price. This is possible because with Job Order Contracting, construction contractors bid on a Unit Price Book that is then applied to an undetermined number of projects rather than bid on the projects themselves. With prices firmly preset and transparent to all, stakeholders can focus on working together to deliver outstanding results.

This collaborative tendency was crucial to the success of the Imperial Point Library project for a number of reasons. The first is that this was a project in a working elevator. There could be minimal disruption to the public, and the awarded contractor, Florida Palm Construction, Inc., collaborated with their local Gordian team, a slew of subcontractors and county facilities personnel to develop and execute a plan that did not impede regular operations.

The second reason collaboration was imperative was the state of the elevator itself. Several decades old, it used different parts than most modern elevators, and getting it in proper working order would require sourcing and installing several new old stock (NOS) parts. It also required finding some specialized help. Florida Palm Construction enlisted the aid of Oracle Elevator Company, an area subcontractor with experience repairing older elevators.

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“This project required a creative solution to address groundwater accumulation in the elevator pit,” says Florida Palm Construction Vice President Brian Fay. “Our team helped devise and implement a custom drainage system that routes the sump pump discharge to a drywell we constructed outside the building.  This approach not only resolved the issue efficiently but also ensured long-term reliability and compliance with local code requirements.”

The team assessed the project’s needs and found that some of the required construction tasks were so unique that they were not listed in the applicable Unit Price Book. Again, collaboration came into play. Contractors worked together to identify effective non-prepriced items within the library’s budget for a custom solution that updated the elevator to contemporary standards.

Result: A Safe and Pleasant Elevator Experience

The project began in September of 2022, and the team approached the work with diligence and ingenuity. They decided to reuse the cab and piston due to a lack of modern options compatible with the existing older equipment. Contractors maximized the project budget by replacing only failed or obsolete parts, requiring extensive research and creative sourcing to find NOS parts that had spent decades on warehouse shelves. Additionally, they installed a modern elevator control system, which, in compliance with local procurement regulations, was a non-proprietary solution.

The calendar and the weather conspired to add an extra degree of difficulty to the Imperial Point Library elevator modernization. Local and primary elections occurred prior to the delivery of the new control system, a complication that was overcome with inspired problem-solving. As a stopgap measure, the team installed new old-stock controller cards to ensure that all citizens, regardless of physical ability, could exercise their right to vote.

Then came the King Tides, a colloquialism for high tides coinciding with a new or full moon. These waters flooded the elevator pit, requiring weekly drainage and cleaning before the permanent solution was complete. To combat flooding, contractors installed a robust pumping and drainage system to monitor the elevator pit and protect the equipment.

The project, even with bespoke parts, came in around $154,000, resulting in approximately $4,000 saved for taxpayers from the initial budget. That’s great news for the Broward County Construction Management Division, but the real winners of this project are Imperial Point Library patrons, whose treasured community hub is, once again, pristine.