140,000 SF Retrofit & 66,000 SF Build-Out
Bestbet Gaming Facility
Stellar completed a retrofit and build out for this Bestbet Gaming facility under a quick turnaround deadline. The facility includes a commercial kitchen, dining rooms, parimutuel gambling area, vault, 2 rooms of 80 poker tables, and associated support spaces, executive offices, administrative spaces and a conference room.
Although the contract was technically GC, Stellar worked with the client and its A/E team to define more than 70 value engineering items with associated pricing deducts within a few short days of the original hard bid. This team effort brought the cost of the project to a level more in line with owner expectations while maintaining the high quality finishes the owner desired. The owner had a commitment to host a national ESPN television event in this facility and Stellar met this date in spite of unforeseen conditions including structural repairs and vandalism.
More than half of an existing retail store was retrofitted into a gaming facility and restaurant including a commercial kitchen, dining rooms, parimutuel gambling area, vault, 2 rooms of 80 poker tables, and associated support spaces, executive offices, administrative spaces, and conference room. The many televisions, security, communications, ATMs, and points of sale require extensive data lines routed beneath access flooring.
This project was completed in six short months by scheduling line items with shortened durations and less float time than is traditionally allowed. Subcontractor crews were larger than usual, and additional crews were assigned to the project to expedite construction. The building interior and systems were fully demolished and 66,000 square-feet of the space was repurposed.
We challenged Stellar to complete the project in just over five months. This was an incredibly fast-track schedule, given that retrofits of this scale, as we were told by our own advisors, typically require at least eight to nine months. Stellar's versatility and experience with complex construction enabled them to meet this aggressive schedule while achieving our high quality and safety standards.
It is not very often that I find myself in a position to write a letter such as this one, where we had such a favorable experience in a very time-sensitive multi-million dollar construction project. Stellar's attention to detail and management of all subcontractors and work site personnel was outstanding. Their project managers communicated well with my team and were responsive to our questions and concerns through the many changes along the way. Our facility in Jacksonville is up and operating, at a level beyond our expectations for a job that was completed in such a short time frame.
