BCCI Provides General Contractor Services for the New 826 Valencia Location Pro Bono

News Release | The Registry

San Francisco, CA (June 24, 2016) – BCCI Construction Company (BCCI), the Bay Area’s premier commercial contractor, is pleased to announce its involvement in building the new 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center. The nonprofit, 826 Valencia, is dedicated to helping children ages 6 to 18 develop their writing skills and is one of San Francisco’s most notable educational organizations working towards closing the academic achievement gap.

Founded in 2002 by author Dave Eggers and award-winning educator Nínive Calegari on the premise that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success, 826 Valencia offers writing, publishing, and tutoring opportunities to inspire under-resourced students and ignite a love of learning. With the support of over 5,000 volunteers in now eight centers across the country, 826 National helps over 30,000 children a year.

“I’ve always wanted to get involved with a project that would really give back to the city that has been so good to BCCI. I really believe in what 826 Valencia stands for, the children it serves, and the changes they’ve seen in the neighborhoods where they are located,” says BCCI President and CEO, Michael Scribner.

BCCI donated its labor and fees to support the new 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center and spearheaded an outreach program with the local subcontractor community that proved tremendously successful. The renovation is the largest charitable project BCCI has been involved with to date.

The Tenderloin was an ideal location for 826 Valencia’s expansion in San Francisco because of the great need for safe spaces for youth and a lack of educational programs in the neighborhood specifically for writing. Located at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Leavenworth Street, the space was in poor condition after the close of a corner market once notorious for criminal activity. Among other things, the building had once been used as a carriage repair warehouse, a former film archive, and a Filipino restaurant.

The retrofit of the 5,000 square foot ground floor space included extensive demolition, abatement, structural upgrades, and tenant improvements to create a safe and comfortable environment for children to learn and thrive. With a series of modifications to the building over its hundred-year history, structural deficiencies and many unexpected conditions were uncovered. New footings were poured and structural posts and beams were installed to support the unreinforced masonry structure. Modern materials, such as redirecting light film, were used in the build-out. The team also took advantage of the extraordinary salvage opportunities available in the Bay Area, incorporating reclaimed doors, wood, mirrors, windows, sheet metal, and a fireplace. One of the gems found during demolition was vintage, hand-painted wallpaper that included the image of a map. It was protected during construction and used as a final finish in the space.

As with all 826 locations, the new space includes a themed retail storefront, King Carl’s Emporium, which students traverse before entering the writing lab. With eclectic design elements such as a fog bank, rope shelving, a trapdoor, portholes, and a wall of doors, the store reinforces a theme of exploration. The interactive wall of doors is the gateway to the student writing lab, providing various options as points of entry: through a standard door, a bunny door, and even a hidden passageway in the fireplace. Once inside the writing lab, a treehouse play structure is perched high above the room with treasures tucked in cubbyholes below. Two different floor levels in the writing lab, an existing condition revealed during demolition, turned out to be a benefit, supporting multifunctional use for tutoring and for presentations. Beyond the writing lab is a meeting room and 826 Valencia’s new administrative office to support the nonprofit’s operations.

The design of the project is the result of an incredible collaboration between multiple firms, including MKThink, Jonas Kellner, INTERSTICE Architects, Gensler, and Office. MKThink and Jonas Kellner took the lead on the interior architecture for the writing center while INTERSTICE Architects created the vision for the exterior. Gensler drove the retail concepts, designing the interiors for the emporium, while Office worked on the store branding, signage, and product design.

The generous contributions from subcontractors and suppliers, all provided at cost or in-kind, amounted to nearly $2 million. These contributions included a complete design-build mechanical system by Anderson Rowe and Buckley. McMillan Electric, Paganini Electric, and Sprig Electric partnered to provide a complete electrical build-out based on Glumac Engineering’s electrical design. Ayoob & Peery completed all of the plumbing work for four restrooms and a staff kitchen. Richard Hancock signed on to do all of the wood structural framing with DW Nicholson and B Metals did the steel portion of the structural framing. Golden Gate Fire Sprinklers installed a new sprinkler system. Flooring was a team effort completed by California Wood Floors, Nor Cal Wood Flooring, Majestic Floors, Tandus Centiva, Deanza Tile, Bay Area Concrete, Emser Tile and Shaw floors. California Drywall Co., Stockholm Construction, and Surber Drywall Construction divided framing, drywall and taping,as well as finishing to provide a complete drywall scope. Painting was performed by Giampolini and Monticelli Painting and Decorating. Progress Glass Company and Mission Glass Company partnered to perform all of the glazing scope. Design Workshops completed the wall of doors feature, and Commercial Casework provided kitchen millwork.

Typically on a commercial build-out, there is one subcontractor hired per trade to complete all of the scope for their particular specialty. However, on the project for 826 Valencia, there were many instances where multiple subcontractor firms, that are usually competitors, worked side-by-side to shoulder the work in a trade and minimize the final cost to the project. A complete list of the build team partners is detailed below.

The highly anticipated 826 Valencia Tenderloin Center, which is located at 180 Golden Gate Avenue, celebrated its Grand Opening on May 19, 2016. Working together with community partners, its programs will be in full swing for the new school year this August so that more students can “set forth and explore” and discover their untapped writing potential.

Build Team Partners