Gilford provides construction services to this historic church founded in 1818 in Alexandria, Virginia’s oldest African American neighborhood, the Bottoms. Projects completed to date include the following:

Office Building Renovation

Interior renovation of approximately 18,000 sf on three levels in an occupied building proximate to the church to create administrative office space for the church. The scope of work included demolition, installation of new infrastructure (upgraded electrical service, HVAC, ductwork and controls, plumbing, and fire suppression), and architectural renovations including providing new cherrywood doors, windows, millwork, flooring, and high-end finishes.

A challenge was accommodating a 20-day delay in the schedule due to the building condominium association’s delay in allowing the electrical upgrade. Gilford worked with the landlord to assure continuance of electrical service to other building tenants during the upgrade. We also coordinated with the Owner’s subcontractors for connections to existing fire alarm and security systems as well as for integrating IT and AV systems into the new space.

Sanctuary Chiller Replacement

Removal of an existing chiller and components and installation of a new, more efficient 80-ton air-cooled chiller that serves as the primary cooling source for the main sanctuary and multi-purpose rooms. An existing chiller was used as backup during installation. The project was accomplished in a fully occupied facility with no impact to the HVAC system and facility operations.