Living Independently

by Alan M. Petrillo

The Weitz Company is a seasoned general contractor and has handled plenty of big jobs. So it was natural for its customer, La Posada at Park Center Inc. in Green Valley, Arizona to turn to Weitz for its new La Perla Independent Living Apartments.

At 256,000 sq. ft. on three floors, the $22.5 million complex houses 153 independent living units, three guest suites and 60,000 sq. ft. of common areas.

"We love big projects," said Jeremy Mohr, project engineer, "and this one fits in that category. The footprint on the building itself is about 100,000 sq. ft."

Mohr estimated the structure holds approximately five miles of ductwork, and used 7,000 cu. yds. of concrete.

La Perla's living units range in size from 800 to 1,700 sq. ft. each, while the common areas include a full kitchen, a main dining room, three private dining rooms, a large meeting facility, a library, craft area and a salon. Sixty garages will be available and carports are located throughout the facility.

La Perla Independent Living Apartments is the third major structure that Weitz has built for La Posada.

"The owner brought us in first to do the La Via Memory Care Alzheimer's Facility," Mohr said.
"We finished it on schedule and under budget, completing it in seven months."

The La Via structure, costing $1.7 million, has 29 units in 18,600 sq. ft.

"After that, we put up the Fitness Pavilion, which we completed this past March," he added.

That structure, at $1.8 million, houses an interior pool, exercise room and aerobics room and is 14,000 sq. ft.

"One of the reasons why this job has gone so smoothly is because of the work of Doug Beaver, the senior project superintendent," Mohr said. "He is an outstanding super and makes my life much easier."

The subcontractors on the job didn't find any unusual problems on the site, according to Bob Dinius, project manager for Qualified Mechanical in Tucson, which handled the mechanicals and plumbing.

"The challenges we faced were typical for this kind of facility," he said. "It's a very big place, so I imagine there is at least a few miles worth of plumbing in the facility."

Chuck Hughes, project manager for Wilson Electric Services Corp., Tucson division, echoed Dinius' comments.

"We started on this job a year ago," Hughes said, "and Weitz has handled it very well, keeping things running smoothly and on time."

Richard Spross, president of Southwest Enviroscapes in Tucson, the landscaping subcontractor, said he's found La Perla to be a fairly straightforward project.

"We've put in thousands of plants, from one gallon container shrubs to 36-in.-sized boxed trees," he said. "And of course we're installing the irrigation system to maintain those plants."

Spross noted that La Perla has two very large courtyards where his firm installed a central section of sod surrounded by lush landscaping near the structure's walls.

"And on the outside of the project," he added, "is a large riparian area that we rehabilitated for the owner."

Greg Irwin, the project architect, of Irwin Pancake Architects of Huntington Beach, Calif., pointed out the design of the project is focused on folks who might not want to go outside of the structure and into the heat.

"When we designed La Perla, we looked at the marketplace in the area where many single-family homes have casitas," he said. "So we designed the living units much larger than usual, including a bonus room, much as you would have extra space in a single family house."

Irwin noted that the common dining room also will be open to the community, and will have a takeout window where food can be picked up or residents can have it delivered.

"Having the community rooms and banquet spaces attached to an apartment product gives you a lot of flexibility with activities," Irwin said. "We're trying to meet the needs of those people who are retiring, as well as those who want to maintain a home elsewhere, but don't want to have to keep up a yard."

Mohr, the project engineer, pointed out that the relationships involving the general contractor, the owner, the architect and the subcontractors has been very good, with no difficulties.

"Especially the relationship with La Posada," Mohr noted. "The owner has been excellent to work for; they get me answers when I need them. They've been very responsive to our needs."

So much so, that Weitz's aggressive schedule at La Perla means it is a month ahead of time for delivery of the project, Mohr maintained.

"And that's the case even though all these living units are being built as custom units," he added.
"Residents had about 40 options in each unit, plus being able to move elements like cabinets and shower stalls. The building is about two-thirds sold out and thus far we've been able to accommodate all the changes requested."

Related Stories:
Healthcare Construction Bounces Back
New Hospital Helps Mend Las Vegas' Growing Pains
Surgery Center Comes to Scottsdale
Living Independently
Fast Growing Senior Population Creates Demand