ESL Federal Credit Union
For Immediate Release:
June 6, 2008
For more information, contact:
Andrew J. Ragone, ESL
585.336.1532 or cell 208.0366
aragone@esl.org
-or-
Adena Miller, Roberts Communications
585.246.0229 or cell 490.9437
amiller@robertscomm.com
ESL SELECTS LECHASE CONSTUCTION TO BUILD ITS NEW HEADQUARTERS
Rochester, N.Y. - LeChase Construction Services, LLC will serve as construction manager to oversee construction of ESL's new corporate headquarters and parking garage in downtown Rochester, ESL Federal Credit Union said today.
On Feb. 7, ESL announced plans for a six-story office building at 225 Chestnut Street, across from the Strong National Museum of Play. Groundbreaking is scheduled for July, with more than 300 ESL employees expected to move in by the spring of 2010.
LeChase will work with ESL to oversee all aspects of construction for the project, which is estimated to cost about $50 million, including the headquarters building and an adjacent parking garage. The project will generate approximately 250 local construction jobs.
David L. Fiedler, ESL President and CEO, said that the company received strong proposals from several qualified construction firms, but that LeChase stood out because of unique experience it brings to the project.
- Having overseen the construction of several nearby buildings - including the headquarters for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and Bausch & Lomb - LeChase is familiar with soil conditions, site configuration options and traffic flows in the area.
- LeChase also built the Washington Square garage - which will be adjacent to the new ESL garage and office building - as well as St. Joseph's garage downtown and other parking structures.
- The company is experienced at building major projects in compact construction zones, including the recently completed Goergen Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics on the University of Rochester's River Campus.
"LeChase really stood out as having the perfect combination of skills and experience to ensure a successful, on-time project," Fiedler said. "We were also impressed with the safety record at LeChase, which ranks very high nationally."
The design concepts, which will be finalized within a few weeks, show a six-story building of approximately 180,000 square feet with a gently curved front facing Chestnut Street. It will include a full-service branch for Credit Union members on the first floor. Office space will be designed to accommodate growth of up to 500 employees. The building will feature energy-efficient technologies that will reduce utility costs by more than 30 percent per square foot compared to ESL's current headquarter location.
President and CEO William H. Goodrich said the project will be a major boost for downtown Rochester. "Like ESL, our company is deeply committed to the Rochester community and are proud of our work on many of the buildings that shape the city skyline," he said. "We are honored that ESL has chosen LeChase to build this distinctive new addition to the skyline, and pleased to continue our participation in the revitalization of Rochester's center city."
Goodrich said the company is working with ESL executives and the project architects at LaBella Associates to finalize project details and construction timelines. To minimize traffic disruption and use construction space efficiently, LeChase is planning a "top-down" construction approach. Instead of completing the structure floor-by-floor from the ground up, this method will create the building in vertical sections that can be used to support the construction cranes and other heavy equipment as they are moved around the site.
About ESL Federal Credit Union
Founded by George Eastman in 1920, ESL Federal Credit Union (esl.org) is one of the nation's largest and most successful credit unions. A full-service institution with $3.4 billion in assets, ESL serves 290,000 members worldwide through 19 local branches in Monroe and Ontario Counties, a Tele-banking Center, an extensive ATM network, and the Internet.About LeChase Construction Services, LLC
LeChase Construction (www.lechase.com) is a full-service construction management and general construction firm with extensive experience in many sectors of the industry.Headquartered in Rochester - with offices in Albany, Binghamton, Ithaca and Corning, New York as well as Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina - LeChase has constructed hundreds of buildings for clients throughout New York state, the eastern United States, and as far away as the United Kingdom and Brazil. The over 60-year old firm is well recognized for its strong commitment to superior quality, innovative solutions and safe practices.
Widely recognized as one of the nation's top contractors, LeChase completed approximately $500 million in building construction last year.
Front row on the ground (left to right); William Mack (Executive VP from LeChase), Sergio Esteban (President of LaBella Associates), Kevin Marren (Architect & LEED Accredited Professional at LaBella) and Walter Rusnak (SVP Finance & Administration for ESL)
Back row in the sculpture (left to right); Robert Healey (Principal at LaBella Associates), William Goodrich (President & CEO of LeChase), David Fielder (President & CEO of ESL Federal Credit Union) and Wayne LeChase (Chairman & Managing Partner, LeChase).
William Goodrich (President & CEO of LeChase), David Fielder (President & CEO of ESL Federal Credit Union) and Sergio Esteban (President of LaBella Associates)
Front row (left to right); Wayne LeChase (Chairman & Managing Partner, LeChase), David Fielder (President & CEO of ESL Federal Credit Union), William Mack (Executive VP from LeChase) and Walter Rusnak (SVP Finance & Administration for ESL)
Back row (left to right); Sergio Esteban (President of LaBella Associates), William Goodrich (President & CEO of LeChase), Kevin Marren (Architect & LEED Accredited Professional at LaBella) and Robert Healey (Principal at LaBella Associates)