Lincoln Park High School Renovation

Lincoln Park High School, originally built in 1899, required extensive renovations to address outdated mechanical systems, poor energy performance, and environmental issues.

Blinderman ALL Joint Venture (BAJV)’s team carried out internal and external improvements during the summers of 2017 and 2018. The project included interior finishes improvements, construction of four new specialty classrooms, masonry façade renovations, roofing replacement, and MEP infrastructure upgrades.

The BAJV Team achieved nearly 60% MBE/WBE subcontractor participation, with Chicago residents performing 55% of overall hours worked and local community members working 9.4% of those hours. Masonry work included reroofing and tuckpointing of the Freshman Annex building, exterior masonry work on the 1899 and 1937 classroom wings, and interior finishes renovation.

Seven priority classrooms in the Main Building were renovated to provide new specialty classes, including Long Distance Learning Labs, Music Room, Art Lab, and Weight Room. The Main Building also received major MEP upgrades and a basement renovation targeted at preventing groundwater infiltration.

Project challenges included addressing discovered conditions and unforeseen environmental issues during the renovation. The team had to closely communicate and prioritize safety and security while working on a complex scope within a compressed time frame.

The school remained occupied during construction, requiring BAJV to coordinate operations with day camps, summer school, athletics department, and other ongoing events. Discovered conditions necessitated significant masonry repairs, asbestos insulation removal, and containment for asbestos fireproofing. The BAJV team successfully recovered lost time by re-stacking subcontractor shifts.