Regency Construction Services, Inc. served as the Construction Manager at Risk for the Renovation of Fitzmaurice Hall for Saint Joseph Academy. More than 100 years old, the historic Fitzmaurice Hall was renovated into classrooms and other educational spaces to upgrade the learning environment for the all-girls Catholic high school.

The project scope also included a quiet prayer and reflection area, renovated office and meeting spaces, upgraded HVAC, a staff kitchen area, and renovations to the original front entrance to improve ADA accessibility. To create more collaboration space, soft seating and study areas were incorporated throughout the corridors.

Regency carpenters self-performed all of the carpentry scope on this project, and were responsible for doors, frames, hardware, and finish carpentry—including reinforcing a plaster wall to hang a 200 pound religious statue! During demolition, they salvaged all of the existing wood trim, base, and wainscot from walls and kept them in a separate area to be incorporated wherever possible during the renovation.

During demolition, our team uncovered original plaster decorative columns. Thrilled, Saint Joseph Academy hoped to restore these pieces to their full glory. Unfortunately, after conversations with several restoration specialists, our team quickly realized that it would be cost prohibitive to officially restore them. To help the school achieve their vision anyway, Regency and our carpentry team found a way to patch and repair the columns using a combination of drywall mud, wood composite, and other materials. For half the price of a full restoration, our carpenters made the columns look nearly identical to their original design!

In conjunction with this project and the Makerspace Renovation, Regency also conducted a “Construction Academy” for SJA students to learn about the building program and the roles and responsibilities of the professionals working on the project. Our goal is to expand the pipeline of students pursuing the construction industry.