Lattie Coor Elementary School Kitchen & Cafeteria Remodel

Avondale, AZ

• Owner:Avondale Elementary School District
• Delivery Type: Job Order Contract (JOC)
• Completed: July 2009
• Budget: $307,000
• Architect:ADM Group

Remodeled in collaboration with SDB Inc. and ADM Group, Inc., the Avondale Elementary School District, Lattie Coor Kitchen and Cafeteria Remodel Project demonstrates the value of Job Order Contracting (JOC) in an elementary school environment. Making the cafeteria an appealing place for students to enjoy lunch as well as one in which they would respect and take pride was an important aspect of the project. Aside from creating a functional and enjoyable lunchtime experience for the students, the kitchen remodel incorporated high efficiency appliances that helped resolve the food safety and space issues, creating an environment that is efficient, safe and fully functional.

One challenge of the kitchen and cafeteria remodel was its schedule. Because of its daily usage during the school year, the project had to be completed over a summer break. As a result of the time crunch, the project design needed to be one that allowed for rapid permitting and implementation, as well as staying within a tight budget. A strong, but not overly simple, project schedule was formed to help bring together a sequence of plan elements that resulted from the demolition and remodel of the project. Unforeseen conditions with the kitchen grease trap presented unique challenges for the team, but were successfully overcome by essential project management skills and innovative strategy that were developed overtime and applied to this project by the team leadership. The kitchen and cafeteria remodel was completed in 9 weeks, on schedule, within budget, and one that will be appreciated for years to come.