Good As Gold for Gold’s Gym

Sometimes, an architect’s expansive, creative vision can exceed an owner’s budget. It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s challenging business environment. Such was the case for Gold’s Gym in Mountain View. The sweeping upgrade for the fitness facility at 1400 North Shoreline Boulevard, adjacent to the Cinemark Century Theaters, was initially cost out at nearly twice what had been planned for the improvements.

That’s where SiliconX Construction came in. SiliconX often employs a value engineering approach, which seeks to reconcile an owner’s vision and architect’s design with the practical realities of implementing those plans to ensure an affordable result. Led by Anthony “Tony” Gonzalez, SiliconX Construction’s Director of Construction Operations and Superintendent, SiliconX collaborated closely with the fitness center’s owner and the architect to reduce the scope or substitute finishes in certain areas and adapt the plans in others to achieve a spectacular result while bringing the improvements in on budget.

“SiliconX Construction’s ingenuity and discipline were the keys to enabling us to achieve what we wanted with the finances we had available,” said Jerry McCall, owner of Gold’s Gym – Mountain View. “SiliconX created a true team atmosphere where we were working together toward the same goal, rather than being in opposition to one another as is so common with many contractors.”

Keeping the Fitness Center Open

One of the biggest challenges was making all the improvements while the gym remained operational. Members can work out at Gold’s Gym–Mountain View Mondays through Thursdays from 5 a.m. until midnight, Fridays from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m., and from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends. SiliconX worked diligently during the seven weeks of construction to avoid interfering with individual training as well as the dozens of group sessions and fitness classes from yoga to Zumba offered at the location.

Major upgrades to the center included:

•   Complete remodel of the reception area with a new tile floor, reception counter and desk, and painting in selected areas

•   Addition of a new spin room with a glass wall that looks into the rest of the club

•   Refresh of the office/employee break room areas, including new kitchenette cabinetry and wall coverings

•   Relocation of the HVAC supply unit to suit the new wall layout

•   Remodel of both the men’s and women’s locker rooms

The latter task proved to be among the most challenging, especially the improvements in the women’s locker room. SiliconX consulted closely with Jerry to schedule the needed work in only two three-day phases, minimizing the inconvenience for Gold’s female members, while giving the SiliconX crews the access they needed.

All work was completed on time and on budget, resulting in a bright, modern, highly functional facility for Gold’s Gym’s expanding membership.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with an owner like Jerry McCall,” said Tony Gonzalez. “Together, we were able to create the vision he wanted at a cost that was affordable. The Mountain View center is now a first-class fitness facility that compares favorably with any in the area.”

No job — from tenant improvements to new construction — is too large or too small for SiliconX Construction. If you’re considering any kind of construction project and would like some initial budget numbers — or if you already have a design that you are looking to put out to bid — SiliconX will be happy to provide a no-obligation quotation.

To learn more about the improvements at Gold’s Gym – Mountain View or to obtain a quote on your next project, contact Tony at tony@siliconxconstruction.com, or call (408) 418-0099 (w) or (408) 318-1869 (c).

 Putting a New Face on Los Gatos Boulevard

• Completed all exterior improvements on schedule and on budget

• Provided construction management services for 10,000 sq. ft. of ground floor tenant improvements for YogaSource Los Gatos

• Are designing and building five of up to ten spaces for the 9,800 sq. ft. of space on the building’s second floor

In 2008, a 20,150 sq. ft., two-story commercial building was constructed on a parcel of just less than one acre on Los Gatos Blvd. in a prime business area in Los Gatos. The expectation was that the building would quickly be leased. But that was before the Great Recession changed everything for a lot of people and businesses throughout Silicon Valley.

 Challenge

Since its completion in 2008, the building at 16185 Los Gatos Blvd. had sat vacant. In 2009, the Town of Los Gatos issued a use permit for a bakery and café, but the business never moved in. Finally, in mid-2011, new owners purchased the building and signed a lease with YogaSource Los Gatos to occupy the entire 10,350 sq. ft. ground floor.

To ready the building for the new tenants and prepare the 9,800 sq. ft. of space on the second floor for leasing, the new owners called upon SiliconX Construction to give the building a thorough facelift.

 Solution

Working with Kelly Simcox of Studio G Architects in Campbell, SiliconX updated the exterior design for the building. The fresh new look involved the addition of a stonewall feature to the front of the building facing busy Los Gatos Blvd., as well as repainting the entire exterior. SiliconX also installed a sophisticated new electronic irrigation system and landscaping to improve the overall presentation of the building. In addition, the system includes advanced water metering capabilities that will enable the landlord to accurately track and bill water usage by the building’s tenants.

Further, SiliconX provided construction management services to the building owners for the ground floor tenant improvements for YogaSource Los Gatos — ensuring that all work was completed in a timely manner and within budget.

 Results

With YogaSource Los Gatos open for business hosting classes, workshops, teacher training, private retreats, and more, the building is finally seeing the use for which it was built.

The new owners have been very satisfied with the work that SiliconX Construction has completed on the building to-date, and the owners have engaged SiliconX to design and build the first five of up to ten units that will be available for lease on the building’s top floor.

SiliconX Construction Builds Club Auto Sport-Phase II on the Fast Track

Highlights

•   Completed the project on schedule and on budget even while working through the Santa Clara Valley winter

•    Formed and poured 43 concrete panels in stacks in the highly confined parking area behind the existing Club Auto Sport facility

•    Relied on an oversized crane and innovative lifting techniques to safely and efficiently hoist the panels into their vertical positions in the building

Club Auto Sport is a high-end club for auto and motor sports enthusiasts, as well as a unique business community and event center that attracts thousands of upscale guests annually. After a slow start caused by the Great Recession of 2008, Club Auto Sport shifted into high gear. Today, the approximately 87,000 square foot facility is home to a growing roster of more than 40 businesses operating within the unique club. With the main building approaching 90% occupancy, Club Auto Sport-Silicon Valley gave the green light to begin building Club Auto Sport-Phase II. SiliconX Construction was selected as the general contractor.

Challenge

While the winter of 2011–2012 will be remembered as one of San Jose’s mildest and driest, it was still winter. Days were short. And when the rain fell, as it did from time to time — it negatively impacted schedules and created difficult working conditions for the construction personnel. This presented challenges in keeping the project on track for a spring completion.

In addition, the club’s second phase was built in a highly confined area behind the initial building — an area that had provided overflow club parking. This necessitated some creative solutions for casting the tilt-up panels used in the phase II structure.

Solution

SiliconX Construction broke ground on the 33,000 square foot Club Auto Sport-Phase II in mid-December. Club Auto Sport had the foresight to prepare a building pad for the second building when the first building was built in 2007–2008. Because of this, the construction on Club Auto Sport-Phase II got off to a fast start, even in the dead of winter.

To allow for the casting of the 43 panels required for the concrete tilt-up structure, SiliconX placed casting slabs in the club’s parking lot. The general contractor also formed and poured a number of the panels in a stack. This was the only way all of the concrete panels could be cast in such a small area.

Finally, to safely and efficiently lift the panels into their final vertical position with so little clearance on the site, SiliconX had to arrange for a crane with an extended height to be brought in — and relied on innovative sliding and rotating lifting techniques to get the job done properly.  Other than some minor redesigning of ADA parking adjacent to the new facility, the rest of the design and construction was relatively straight-forward.

Results

SiliconX completed construction of Club Auto Sport-Phase II by the end of April, 2012 — only 4 1/2 months after groundbreaking. Staying on schedule and on budget through the winter months, even with a minimum of weather issues, was a credit to the entire SiliconX team — from the project superintendent to the individual craftsmen and laborers.

“Club Auto Sport was very pleased with the teamwork that SiliconX Construction brought to our Phase II building — in bringing the project in on time and on budget,” said Ralph N. Borelli, co-founder and co-managing partner of Club Auto Sport-Silicon Valley.

The Phase II facility includes 16 individual condos, with five contiguous units leased prior to the start of construction to anchor tenant, Goodies Speed Shop. Goodies is a well-known, highly respected name in the Santa Clara Valley, having provided speed and performance parts and services to hobbyist-owners of American “muscle” cars and other high-performance vehicles, including hot rodders and drag racers, since 1962. Goodies moved its entire retail operation, signature service center, and a fabrication area for many of the custom parts it sells into the new space at Club Auto Sport shortly after the Phase II building opened.

Tony Gonzalez, Director of Construction Operations for SiliconX, oversaw the construction at Club Auto Sport-Phase II.