True, summer may have recently ended and the kids have been back to school for more than a month. Yet summer when the kids will be out of school again is on our minds at South Coast.
For general contractors who serve the education sector, like South Coast, summer is when most renovations and improvements take place. That’s something many colleges, universities and secondary schools had to put on hold the past few years. With students back on campus full-time, many institutions of higher learning need some upgrades or tweaks or are possibly thinking even bigger.
South Coast is no stranger to renovations and new construction at schools. It’s how I got my start as a student while attending BU. Ironically, I may have spent more time on college campuses as a general contractor than I ever did as a student. That’s how long we’ve been doing this.
The portfolio of college project goes far beyond the four Beanpot schools (BC, BU, Northeastern and Harvard). We’ve done work for MIT, Mount Ida, Dean. Not to mention several prep schools, including Milton Academy and Concord Academy.
The key to these types of projects is being able to work efficiently and within a tight timeline. Schools and universities typically want this work done during summer break when the student traffic is not as robust. Yet many universities are active year round. Especially schools like Northeastern with its co-op program. So, each renovation or new construction project does require a process and extensive communication with the facility manager and staff to minimize the impact to operations.
While none of us have a crystal ball regarding the pandemic, there does appear to be hope that the 2022-23 school year will be more like the old normal. That said, many schools are now considering what needs to be done and what could be done. And that means we’re not the only ones thinking about summer break even though the school year has virtually just begun.
If you’re a secondary school or institution of higher learning and trying to decide what you can pencil in for summer work, please give us a call at 508-748-6545 or drop a line. We can offer some insight on how to prioritize projects.
Sincerely,
Tom Quinlan, President
South Coast Improvement Company
