Diversified Project Management, Dario Designs and Structure Tone complete const./relocation for Boston Herald

Diversified Project Management (DPM), a Newton, MA-based owner's representative recently completed the renovation and relocation of the Boston Herald to the Seaport Center. The Boston Herald, one of the nation's oldest daily newspapers serving the city and surrounding areas, relocated into its new headquarters in the city's Seaport District. Michael Joyce and Eric Smith of Richards, Barry, Joyce & Partners represented the Herald in the negotiation and execution of the lease at 70 Fargo St., which consists of 50,000 s/f of space across two floors in the Seaport Center. The centrally located headquarters features a highly collaborative work space and a state-of-the-art newsroom, enabling widespread communication among all of the unique platforms the paper provides. Upon entrance to the new editorial and business headquarters, visitors are greeted by the iconic page boy medallion. Having once marked the entry of the paper's former location at One Herald St., it now lies as an accent inlayed in the floor of the new space. The new space cohesively blends vintage architectural details such as the exposed brick and beam vaulted ceilings with a modern and forward-thinking design to house the advanced technology required to maintain its competitive edge in the world of leading media publications. DPM provided the Herald with comprehensive project management oversight. Also included was the engagement and management of the design/build team, along with a host of other specialty consultants, evaluation of cost estimates, value engineering, review of all design and construction documents as well as FF&E and move management services. The relocation occurred over three phases to minimize downtime and ensure a seamless transition into the new space. DPM project executive Tony Zulkeski, along with project managers David Settlemire, Liz Dalton, and Sheri Fletcher coordinated all activities of the project team. Dario Designs led the design effort in creating a flexible and low maintenance space with practical yet durable, modern finishes to accommodate the fast-paced media environment. ADD Inc provided guidance for color, fabric, and finishes and worked with Boston Art to outfit the space with artwork to accent compliment the selections. General contractor Structure Tone executed the build-out of the space within an aggressive three month timeline and the project team was rounded out by RDK Engineers, W.B. Mason (AIS furniture), and ABC Moving. "The intense schedule and utmost need to stay online throughout the process made the project a great challenge," said Jeff Magram, the Herald's chief operating officer and CFO. "DPM provided exceptional guidance during the transition. We are excited to begin a new chapter in a terrific space." "The biggest challenge was the time frame to complete construction. Typical interior built construction projects are driven by lease commencement dates and in most cases the schedules are very aggressive. The Herald built out was an example of this. We had 12 weeks to complete a 20 week project. The project team of the Herald, Diversified Project Management, Dario Designs and RDK Engineers knew prior to construction that early planning, purchasing and coordination were the factors to a successful completion. Although the project was fast moving the efforts of all team members led to a successful move-in," said Jim Hardy, project manager of Structure Tone, Inc. PM is an independent owner's representative consulting company that specializes in programming, pre-construction, project management, construction administration, FF&E coordination and move-planning services for corporate, academic, healthcare, manufacturing and biotech clients' construction, renovation and relocation projects.