Metal to the pedal

How to remodel a car dealership during a pandemic

By Carina Brillhart

In December 2019, Stellar broke ground on a $1.7 million renovation of Mazda City of Orange Park, a Tom Bush Family Dealership in Jacksonville, Florida. The project included upgrading the 6,300-square-foot showroom and sales area, as well as building a 450-square-foot addition which remained open during the five-month project.

But this story is not about a modestly sized car dealership renovation—it is about how crews and construction managers were able to keep the project on track even as the worldwide global pandemic upheaved the way Americans live.

Executive orders handed down two months into construction

Since construction started in January, the project was well underway when the State of Florida announced its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 1. Fortunately, the job was already staffed and construction was ongoing when executive orders were announced mandating social distancing and restricting some non-essential workers. But constantly evolving restrictions meant Stellar, the construction management firm, had to go the extra mile to protect crews and meet local and federal guidelines to stay on track. By April, non-essential businesses were closed through Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry’s safer-at-home order. “One of the biggest challenges we faced was a situation that was fluid and directives from state and local agencies were changing daily,” says Tim Jenkis, Operations Manager, Stellar. “’Open construction sites’ were considered essential and permitted to stay open, but there wasn’t a clear definition of what exactly qualified. We didn’t know if they meant

“Given the circumstances, video conferencing was an effective way to communicate with the owner that didn’t present delays in our day-to-day operations onsite.”

— Tim Jenkis, Operations Manager, Stellar

outdoor construction sites, or job sites that were already active when executive orders were handed down.” Mobile hand washing stations were unavailable for rent due to skyrocketing demand, so construction managers purchased a vanity from a local hardware store and connected it to a temporary water line to provide workers a way to stay clean on the job. Stellar also took each worker’s temperature prior to entering the job site and instituted social distancing measures.

The challenges kept coming

Some of the biggest hurdles during construction were caused by delays in material deliveries. While many materials were already on site when the pandemic hit, items from factories that required two close-quarters workers to manufacture were delayed as the entire country instituted social distancing. The design for the showroom bathroom called for 4-x-4-foot ceiling tiles, which required two workers to be within 6 feet of each other. As the manufacturer shut down the plant that produced the tiles, Stellar had to pivot its construction schedule to accommodate for the delay. Additionally, surging demand for bathroom accessories like soap and paper towel dispensers led to nationwide supply shortages, causing unforeseen lags in construction. “Stellar handily dealt with unforeseen setbacks while sticking to the original project schedule,” says Megan Bush, VP of Tom Bush Family of Dealerships. “They worked through various hiccups and still delivered a beautiful showroom on time.”

The showroom and sales area at Mazda City follows Mazda’s brand guidelines to showcase its “Design to Inspire” philosophy.

From onsite walkthroughs to virtual conferencing

Prior to the pandemic, Stellar met with the owners of Mazda City every two weeks for a face-to-face progress meeting and tour of the construction site. These meetings were transitioned to video conferences with virtual

walkthroughs and images to address issues and update the client. “Given the circumstances, video conferencing was an effective way to communicate with the owner that didn’t present delays in our day-to-day operations onsite,” Jenkins says. “Though I prefer delivering news or sensitive project information in person, we made the necessary adjustment and the owners were ultimately pleased with our work.”

How they kept the project on schedule during the pandemic: > Many construction workers are reluctant to miss hours that could affect pay, so leadership must reinforce that it’s okay to call out sick if they’re feeling unwell

> Temperatures should be checked each time workers enter the job site to avoid exposures and subsequent quarantines that could significantly diminish the workforce. > If a worker does test positive, management should identify who came in contact with them and require a negative COVID-19 test result before the exposed parties return to work. > Since free COVID-19 tests can still have one- to two-week turnaround times and rapid tests can cost upwards of $100, management should reimburse exposed workers who take rapid tests — it’s cheaper than losing a significant portion of the crew for up to 2 weeks that

might not have been sick in the first place. > Closures and staffing changes at local government offices could make the process of acquiring permits in packages unreliable at best. Apply for specific permits individually to clear parts of the job for construction and schedule accordingly.

Bringing Mazda City of Orange Park up to speed

The showroom and sales area at Mazda City follows Mazda’s brand guidelines to showcase its “Design to Inspire” philosophy. In addition to refreshing the exterior with aluminum composite panels and repainted stucco, the dealership features eye-catching design and stylish features such as: > A nine-panel LED video wall on the sales floor > A spacious showroom filled with

LED-backlit vehicle artwork > A mechanical lift with a “jewel box” display to showcase the latest models

“We’re proud to complete yet another world-class project for the Tom Bush Family despite the unique challenges this time around,” Jenkins says. “With the appropriate COVID-19 precautions put in place, we were able to complete this project safely and on time.” The renovation was completed on schedule, and most importantly, with no crew members contracting COVID-19 during the job. CCR

Carina Brillhart is proposal manager at Stellar, a Jacksonville, Florida-based firm that provides construction management at-risk, design-build and general contracting services for a range of commercial and public sector markets. You can reach her at cbrillhart@stellar.net or 904-260-2900.