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The challenges that arose during the renovation of the kitchen at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center sound almost as if they were scripted for a construction comedy routine鈥攖here was a sleep laboratory above the project site, traffic jams between construction vehicles and catering deliveries, hazardous building materials, and even a hidden staircase.

Andersen Construction did, in fact, have to overcome these challenges during the renovation of the hospital鈥檚 80-year-old kitchen, however.

鈥淲e try to keep everything light hearted, but we really had to coordinate everything on a daily, even hourly basis,鈥� said Erin Storlie, Andersen鈥檚 senior project manager. 鈥淚t was a very busy, congested environment and getting food to the patients always had to be the priority over our construction process.鈥�

The proximity of the sleep laboratory required extensive coordination with the hospital, especially during the hard-demolition phase of jack hammering and saw cutting old concrete, tile, and plaster flooring.

During the remodel, the hospital鈥檚 kitchen staff improvised by trucking in catered food from a nearby hospital. This was an important solution for feeding the patients, but it also caused construction vehicles to conflict with hospital deliveries three times each day.

The team handled asbestos and lead abatement with extreme caution due to the proximity of the material to the hospital鈥檚 catering staff. This task required intensive, quality communication with the hospital.

In spite of all of the challenges, the project team provided a major infrastructural upgrade by installing a new rooftop air handler and demolishing three elevators. Andersen also renovated the hospital鈥檚 mechanical and electrical facilities and installed new HVAC equipment.

鈥淭he work that had to be done for this project was difficult enough on its own,鈥� said Storlie, 鈥渂ut when you added on the constraints from the hospital, that really kicked it into the next league as far as what we had to accomplish.鈥�

Ultimately, the 80-year-old space became a modern, working kitchen and was completed on time and at the projected budget.