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The Challenge
Rose Paving Company was contracted by RREEF, a global real estate investment acquisition and management company, to repair over 31,000 square-feet of parking area and drive lanes at Deerbrook Mall, located in Deerfield, Illinois.
Recently remodeled, Deerbrook Mall was acquired by RREEF in 2004. During their initial site inspection, pavement defects were apparent. This came as no surprise, however, since the location boasts over 626,000 square-feet of retail space and remains consistently busy from early morning until late in the evening. Over time, with such well-traveled parking lots, wear and tear exacted its toll on the pavement. Repairing the damages, especially in high-traffic areas was critical to avoid potential liabilities. While pavement damages alone are challenging obstacles, even more significant is selecting the right contractor to provide the best value. RREEF wanted to partner with a parking lot maintenance provider that could maximize budgeted dollars on high-priority repairs while also remaining sensitive to a tight time frame. In the case of shopping centers, risks are significant when closing off or blocking entrances. Providing continued access to retailers is of utmost importance.
Immediately upon her assignment to Deerbrook Mall, Victoria King, Property Manager for RREEF, began the process of qualifying contractors. Rose Paving was selected because of our ability to value-engineer a project and offer long-term solutions. According to Victoria, “Rose Paving did not look at my property as a one-time project; instead, it was viewed as an ongoing venture between two partners.”
The Solution
Rose Paving performed an evaluation of the property and reviewed the 5-year parking lot maintenance plan developed by RREEF. Deerbrook Mall had widespread pavement damage along with several trip hazards. Working with the existing plan and allocated funds, Rose Paving site engineers created a schedule for repairs over an extended period of time, essentially spreading out maintenance dollars to achieve maximum coverage. Highly traveled areas with severe deterioration, such as crosswalks and drive lanes, were tackled in the first phase. The scope of work involved full-depth milling, asphalt reconstruction, asphalt patching, asphalt resurfacing, and lot marking. The contract was accepted by RREEF in mid-June. Work commenced exactly one month later. In the meantime, to comply with stringent time limitations on entranceway and lane closures, Rose Paving also had to plan extensively for traffic control.
Since the scope of work spanned nearly the entire length of the property, it was crucial to plan repairs around the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. In particular, work in drive lanes had to occur in between truck deliveries since large vehicles require a greater turning radius to maneuver properly. If any part of the area was blocked off, deliveries would be impeded. To ensure that daily operations of Deerbrook Mall continued smoothly, Rose Paving project managers scheduled the majority of work during off-peak hours and enlisted the help of flaggers and barricades to divert cars and direct people safely across areas under construction. Work flexibility was especially appreciated by Victoria King who, in addition to managing all aspects of Deerbrook Mall, is responsible for real estate assets totaling more than 130 million dollars. She recounts, “This job required constant supervision and Rose Paving delivered. Their project managers devoted all of their time to this site for the duration of the work; although I normally visit the property at least once a week, it was nice to know the experts were on hand every day to monitor progress.”
In addition to scheduling and traffic barriers, Rose Paving also encountered structural problems on site. After milling certain areas, it was discovered that very little base was used during original construction. In those instances, the scope of work was changed in real-time to allow for undercuts to be performed and filled with binder.
The Result
In her experience managing properties, Victoria admits, “It is rare to perform maintenance on a property and not receive any complaints from retailers during the process, but that is exactly what happened on this job.” With only one weather-related delay, the project was completed on time, within budget, and according to specifications. High priority defects have been corrected, thus minimizing the potential for slip-and-fall injuries. The property will continue to be carefully monitored on a weekly basis by RREEF and the pavement will undergo planned maintenance in the future to maintain its improved condition.
