Update: September 1

COUNTDOWN TO GMHC's MOVE - Biweekly Update

Greetings!

Starting in September, we will be providing regular updates on a biweekly basis about GMHC's move to 450 West 33rd Street.   We will also feature members of the outstanding team that are helping GMHC.  To pack and move 12 floors worth of programs, plus get the new office space GMHC-ready, are not easy tasks.  That's why we are very fortunate to work with a group of talented and enthusiastic professionals to ensure that GMHC stays on budget and on time to move.   The updates will also include our progress in securing another building in Chelsea for our Prevention and Wellness Center.

We are excited to share the updates about the move.  The environment in the new space will be even more comfortable and welcoming.  The new dining room, for example, will be much larger and brighter with a full wall of windows.   Overall, this new office space is a great opportunity for upgrading our services for clients while expanding our work in the community.  

Janet Weinberg
Chief Operating Officer

The Project Dream Team

GMHC works with a team that meets weekly and works daily.  The team consists of GMHC staff, project managers, construction manager, architect and design managers, and others as we approach different areas of renovation such as structural engineers, information technology engineers, kitchen designers, food specialists and expediters.  In each update, we will introduce the team members, starting with Daphne Poser, one of our Project Managers.

Daphne Poser - Project Manager, Levien & Company
I have been working at Levien & Company for eight years and in the industry for 25 years.  As a project manager, my responsibilities are to organize, manage and document every step of a renovation project.

For this project, I am working with my colleague, Bonnie Andersen who has been with Levien for over 10 years.   We helped GMHC select the consultants (i.e., kitchen designers, elevator engineers and expeditors who walk the paperwork through the approval process for permits at the Department of Buildings).  We also helped GMHC select the contractors through a sealed bid and interview process.  We developed an overall budget for the project and the initial schedule.  We established communications among the team members.   GMHC selected Lehr Construction based on their experience, interest and enthusiasm about the project.  Lehr has a strong commitment to GMHC's mission.

The majority of our work at Levien is with non-profit organizations.  In fact, my first client was the Coalition for the Homeless. We also work for independent schools, cultural institutions and other community-based organizations.   Because all of us at Levien are New Yorkers, we are really invested in the community that we live and work in.  We are committed to this project because GMHC's clients are among the most vulnerable in the city.  By helping GMHC build their new headquarters, we are helping the organization deliver programs to their clients, which is important to all of us.

What We Are Working on Now in the New Space

Once we received the Department of Buildings permits, our goal is to begin construction by mid-September.  The first order of business is demolition in the area where we are building the kitchen, dining room, and the living room.  We will also start the process of building the dedicated entrance at the same time and full modernization of the dedicated elevator on October 1 with Otis Elevator Company, whose offices are right in the building.  They originally built the elevators so they are very familiar with the work that needs to be done to accommodate GMHC's needs.  

The architects will be working with the Development Department in order to discuss how donors will be recognized in the new space.   As you may know, in the lobby of the current building there is a prominent wall of honor with the names of our donors.

Going the Extra Mile

The construction manager from Lehr, one of the contracting companies we are working with, has made it Lehr's mission to help GMHC on discounted pricing for lighting fixtures.  They are diligently asking their vendors whom they work with on big corporate projects to discount or donate equipment.  Lehr sees this as their contribution to the mission of GMHC and we are very grateful.

The Search for a Prevention and Wellness Center

Presently, there are two properties we are looking at in Chelsea.  We are particularly serious about one building as it appears that our programs would fit nicely in this layout.  We have met with the landlord and discussions are in the beginning phases.  We will keep you posted.

Questions???

If you have any questions about our updates, please call Krishna Stone in the Communications Department at (212) 367-1016 or send an e-mail to krishnas@gmhc.org.  Thank you.

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GMHC is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS.  We provide prevention and care services to men, women and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City.  We advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.