FROM THE FIELD – INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE RICHARD

Recently, we sat down with project superintendent, Wayne Richard, to discuss his project, the Abbot Mill Luxury Apartments in Westford.

Tell us a Little Bit About This Project.
For this historic restoration, Senate is converting a mill and industrial buildings into residential apartments. Featuring 102 units with a mix of one and two bedrooms, this Phase 2 of the Abbot Mill project spans 200,000 square feet over four buildings. The new apartments will retain much of the original architecture, including exposed brick and beams, oversized windows, and high ceilings. Two of the buildings will undergo interior excavation in order to create parking garages without sacrificing rentable space.

What’s been the biggest challenge?
I joined this project late, several months after it had already started, so it’s been a challenge getting up to speed working on this expansive and complex project. Our work covers four buildings that were once mill and industrial buildings so, as you can imagine, there’s no records of previous work or delineation of critical areas that need our attention. We have to approach each milestone with extra care because we’re often encountering surprises or unknown conditions that need to be addressed.

What’s the next big milestone coming up?
We’re working on getting all the buildings weather tight. This will help us significantly as the weather is only going to get colder moving forward.

Who else from Senate is on site with you and what are they responsible for on this job?
We have an excellent team on this job! John Romano is our Project Manager and his attention to detail and meticulous nature has been critical to ensuring we stay organized as things change and evolve on this challenging project.

Griffin Couture is my assistant Superintendent and he is a pleasure to work with. He is responsible for daily manpower reports and making inspections with me, as well as sub and owner meetings. He is a talented young man with a bright future. He’s a fast learner and is not intimidated by anything we’re required to do here in the field. I’ve been very grateful to have him here every day. We’re a good team and we keep each other thinking positive and brainstorming creative solutions to complex issues.

I just started with Senate over the summer so this is my first project. It’s been a challenging one but I’m proud of the work we’re doing to realize the owner’s vision.