One of America’s Largest Retailers Calls in Fulcrum Construction

Plantation, FL is one of the hardest places in America to complete a construction project. The permitting process is onerous and complicated and the inspection process is even worse. The project to be completed was a conversion of an old Winn Dixie grocery store to a neighborhood grocery store of 39,000sf. Over 75 permits were needed to construct the project and even after the permits were received changes were required by the City of Plantation.

Many obstacles had to be overcome:

  • The city decided that the structural steel and metal deck had to be fireproofed.
  • A fire lane access plan was required for work going on behind the building to keep the fire lane open for the rest of the shopping center
  • Conflicts arose between what the city inspectors wanted and what was being required by the pre licensed special inspector
  • Pouring an exterior concrete slab required 7 different inspections including zoning and the fire marshall

All in all, the project required 211 inspections. Only two failed and the store opened per the retailer’s schedule. In fact, the store manager, Fred said “this store is more complete than any store we have completed in this market. Fulcrum construction got it done!” In fact, Fulcrum Construction got the first permanent Certificate of Occupancy prior to the store opening that this particular retailer has ever received in south FL in over 15 years.

This was accomplished by the individual dedication of the Fulcrum staff and persistence in following up on the smallest detail. Toward the end of the project, the HVAC and EMS final both failed because of missing an owner supplied part. The part from the original supplier was several days out. These two inspections were on the critical path of inspections and would have jeopardized the final CO to open the store. Fulcrum Construction found out through some online research that substitute parts were available in Miami. Fulcrum staff traveled to Miami, where the parts were obtained the next day and installed to allow for a PM inspection. “When working in this environment you just have to be resourceful or you are going to fail”, Mike Arasin, president, Fulcrum Construction said. “I am proud of the individual commitment the people of Fulcrum showed. That commitment is what gets successful projects completed.”

Fulcrum Construction has purposefully withheld the names of this retailer to honor its confidentiality agreement.