Lease Crutcher Lewis is the general contractor for the Fifth and Yesler high-rise project in Seattle.

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Seattle’s is the general contractor on a unique high-rise project in the city, currently known as Fifth and Yesler.

According to Project Manager Gordon Lemberg, the $64 million shell and core construction project is expected to be completed in May 2009.

The 17-story building spans a total of 397,000 square feet

However, it has suffered a few setbacks since it was originally put on the books 10 years ago. “As of several years ago, Curtis Beattie Architects was aggressively working on the project,” Lemberg recalls. “However, Curtis Beattie himself passed away a year-and-a-half ago.”

Without an architect, the project final design was hindered. Since then, a new firm has stepped in: David McDaniel Architects. “They’ve taken over the final construction management portion of the architectural side,” Lemberg says.

Site Logisitcs
The site itself has also posed some challenges. “When we initially got on-site, we were faced with removing a cherry tree,” he says.

“But due to a city jurisdiction, the city of Seattle arborist claimed the tree needed to be saved or we would have to pay a huge fee to have it removed. The owner, Martin Selig Real Estate, decided to actually save the tree.”

“We transplanted a 40-year-old, 90,000-pound cherry tree with the root ball and all,” he continues. “We placed it directly adjacent to the project. We got great accolades from the city of Seattle.”

The project is now about halfway complete and, Lemberg explains, the core construction is typical of skyscrapers built in the Seattle area, or any area that is prone to earthquakes.

“We built a concrete core at the center of building with steel framing for the remainder,” he says. “The concrete core on this particular project is actually considered one of the larger ones. It’s a five-cell core. That is a pretty unique aspect of this project.”

The building’s proximity to an adjacent hillside is also an interesting element, he says. “We’re constructing it on a hill, which required a substantial amount of excavation,” Lember explains. “We excavated six stories on one side and two stories on another.

“There are four stories of slope. It’s also directly adjacent to Interstate 5, which is a major freeway, and in close proximity to Harborview Hospital Heliport.”

The heliport is a hub for medevac helicopters serving the largest trauma center in the Washington/Oregon/Idaho region as well as some from Canada, he adds. It also serves military aircraft. “We had to coordinate with the heliport and wrote an entire procedure plan to deal with incoming flights,” Lemberg says. “We position the tower crane in a hold position while a helicopter lands, and then resume work. Every night, we tether the crane.”

Teambuilding Effort
Lewis currently has 40 employees working on the project, in addition to approximately 85 subcontractor workers. It is self-performing the vertical concrete construction as well as the door installation and other accessories.

Lemberg says the company has maintained a close relationship with the owner and architect, holding teambuilding activities on several occasions, including barbecues on site to note project milestones, and attending a baseball game together.

“The owner recognizes that one of the most important aspects of the project is the people who are building it,” he says. “So we’ve spent time and effort getting that going on the project.”

Cost-Effective Service
Lemberg says high-rise projects are a mainstay of Lewis’ business. It’s portfolio includes office, hotel, hospital, bank and tenant improvement work. The company has operated in the Seattle area since 1949, but it was originally founded in 1886. 

Today, it employs a staff of 550 with additional offices in Tacoma, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; and Toronto. “We have a really good preconstruction service department,” Lemberg says.     “We help the clients with cost-effective design through estimating and budgeting. We are able to maintain that level of cost engineering through relations with subcontractors, as well.

“They recognize Lewis as one of the better companies to work with.”

Community Service
Lewis says its involvement in the local community are key to the company’s culture. “It's not coincidental that many local organizations and events are chaired by Lewis employees,” the company says.

“Lewis builds leaders, and we actively encourage our people to get involved. Groups range from major charities to professional organizations to children's' soccer leagues.”

The company says it matches up to $500 of charitable contributions per each salaried employee. That is “unusual for a contractor,” it notes. “Employees also help guide much of our corporate giving.”