Country Paint and Hardware / Townline Wine & Spirits- New Construction

New design/build facility includes custom wood and stone work.

Only three years from its last expansion, Country Paint and Hardware is the proud owner of additional retail and warehouse space. The 4,000 sq-foot Liquor Store moved into the front of the new building. The rear provides 5,800 sq-feet of new warehouse space for Country Paint and Hardware with 5,800 sq-feet of basement storage space. While preserving its country charm, Munger retrofitted the space that was formerly occupied by the package store to include offices, conference room, lunchroom, public bathroom and an expanded service area. The Varco Pruden (VP) building with overhangs, red standing seam roof and custom lighted cupola (built in Munger’s shop and crane installed), exterior manufactured stonework, decorative wooden columns and clapboard siding blends seamlessly into the rural surroundings, providing the country look that customers desire.

The Business Situation

This project presented a challenge due to the conflict between the excavation plans and the current project site conditions. Munger applied value engineering concepts in order to meet the excavation plans of the customer. Once the site work was completed, the project snapped together and ran smoothly. Munger’s Design/Build Services moved the basic concept to production-ready status. As a General Contractor in Connecticut, Munger provided in-house and subcontractor resources to deliver the reinforced concrete foundation – back to front, tailored the 2-story Varco Pruden building to provide a country feel, and facilitated the installation of an elaborate fire alarm system to control the basement, including standard conduit to the street to connect with electrical and communications facilities.

Challenge

“Excavation plans called for a full size walkout basement under the rear warehouse”, said Joe Pierandi, Munger Project Manager. “We were surprised to discover that years ago a building had been destroyed by fire in the exact spot where we planned to locate the basement. In its place was left a 12-feet deep grave filled with organic material, bad soil and other useless fill, all of which provided poor sub-grade material. This caused significant delays in completing the first phase of the project.”

The Solution

An additional 10 feet of excavation set the stage for structural fill. Because it was early spring and the base was below the water table, 24 hour per day pumping was required to dewater the site. Large riprap stone, up to a foot in diameter, was placed atop a stabilization fabric prior to installing the foundation and footings. “We readied the site so that the foundation would support everything from the warehouse through the retail store level”, stated Sven Uljens, Munger Project Superintendent. 12-foot deep footings and foundation were meshed with densely packed rebar in order to achieve package store finished floor elevation objectives and to support the drive-in garage and walkout basement whose tall walls would provide frost protection below the warehouse. “Once the site work was complete, everything snapped together and the project ran smoothly through completion”, said Uljens

Munger Builds Two-In-One Solution

Only three years from its last expansion, Country Paint and Hardware is the proud owner of new retail and warehouse space. The 4,000 sq-foot package store has moved into the front of the new building. The rear provides 5,800 sq-feet of new warehouse space for Country Paint and Hardware with 5,800 sq-feet of basement storage space. Munger retrofitted the space that was formerly occupied by the package store to include offices, conference room, lunchroom, public bathroom and an expanded service area while preserving its country charm. A VP building with overhang, red standing seam roof and custom lighted cupola (built in Munger’s shop and crane installed), exterior manufactured stonework, decorative wooden columns and clapboard siding provide the country look that customers want and that fits the town’s motif.

Munger Provides Total Solution

“We heard good things from Murphy Moving and Storage, a Munger customer, and from our engineer,” said Norwood. “We felt comfortable with Munger people. After reviewing three bids, we selected Munger even though they were not the low bidder. We knew that the quality, workmanship and support would be remembered long after the price is forgotten.”
Munger’s Design/Build services moved the basic concept to production-ready status. As general contractor, Munger provided in-house and subcontractor resources to deliver the reinforced concrete foundation – back to front, tailored the 2-story VP building to provide a country feel and facilitated the installation of an elaborate fire alarm system to control the basement and standard conduit to the street to connect with electrical and communications facilities.

Value Engineering for Optimal ROI

“We strive for a natural comfort level with customers before, during and after project completion”, said David DeMaio, Munger president. “Country Paint and Hardware owners spent many hours with us discussing design ideas and pricing options so they could make the most informed decision about their new building. We worked closely with their financing institution to engineer optimal value for their investment.”
Gary Tierney, of DesignTwo Architects, developed the basic concept and working drawings for the project.
Prior to site excavation, the Munger team completed a value engineering analysis with the goal of optimizing a design that would accommodate multiple uses. After careful consultation between Munger, DesignTwo Architects and Norwood, it was decided to engage in a permitting process that would achieve respective fire and building codes without getting outside the cost parameters of a Varco Pruden metal building.

“We continue to be impressed by Munger’s devotion to the value engineering process. It is satisfying for us as architects when the builder advises the customer regarding the risk / reward and provides value engineering by bouncing ideas back and forth to optimize ROI”. – Gary Tierney, DesignTwo Architects

Results 

• Economies create incremental savings that can be shared with customers.

• Customers enjoy a wider product selection.

• Improved working conditions for maneuvering and tracking items.

• POS and paint computer systems have been upgraded to accommodate business growth.

• Bigger and sharper country environment fits the role of a hometown community member.

• The package store tenant and its customers are delighted with their new facility.

Munger’s Sub-contractors 

• DesignTwo Architects

• First Choice Builders – steel erection

• Total Electric

• Delson Plumbing

• GR Wade – HVAC

• Empire Drywall – metal framing & drywall

• Massey Glass – storefronts

• Kelly Enterprises – EIFS / stone veneer