WCP | Documents Show Construction Debacle Jeopardizes Homeless Shelter Replacement Plan

The Ward 8 site, as you can see, there is nothing to see. Photo courtesy of The Washington City Paper

Morgan Baskin of The Washington City Paper just posted an article about the mismanagement and construction delays plaguing the new homeless shelters planned for Ward 7 and Ward 8. A surprise to no one who lives east east of the river, of of all the new shelters, the east of the river shelters are the most behind schedule because the city decided to proceed with a new construction technology, "modular construction" by a company that never even produced a single unit of "modular construction" prior to be awarding the contract. The Advoc8te highly recommends reading the full City Paper article, pardon the pun but it's absolutely "riveting" if not demoralizing. Two thumbs up to Morgan for pouring through what must of been a ton of email communications and documents. 

As a Ward 8 resident I know that I share the concerns of many of my neighbors when it was announced that more shelters would be placed east of the river. Not because we are against shelters, but because the history of poorly managed and poorly located Ward 8 shelters have led to a host of other community issues, none we can never seem to get proper support. Anyone familiar with the scene outside of he 801 shelter and Shepherd Park knows what happens when you have a project without a real plan. The idea of "more of the same" is just too much to take. 

What are your thoughts?

Article Excerpt
(apologies for the long length, wanted you to get the scope but please read the full article):

“It’s an expensive plan that requires speed and precision. In May of 2017, Bowser submitted to the D.C. Council two contracts to hire MCN Build as a general contractor for the Wards 7 and 8 shelters, valued at roughly $14.5 million and $18.4 million, respectively. (Bowser did not respond to City Paper’s requests for comment by press time.) MCN Build has a long history working for D.C., leading dozens of projects in the city in recent years, many of them primary schools. The company is also currently the general contractor for Parkway Overlook, an affordable housing complex managed by DC Housing Authority. A senior executive at MCN Build referred to DGS, in records obtained by City Paper, as “our most valuable client.”

To execute the mayor’s plan on time, MCN would need subcontractors—the construction companies responsible for physically building the shelters—with the capacity and record to deliver “beautiful and dignified” housing, as Bowser described the new shelters.

Enter: Z Modular, a construction company that specializes in modular buildings and calls its model “the only way to build.” It touts modular units as “stronger” and “faster” than traditional, or “stick built” structures, with “higher savings.” Z Modular advertises the capacity to construct units that are 95 percent finished upon delivery. The bulk of MCN Build’s job, after delivery of the units, is to oversee their installation. “Your building can open its doors for full occupancy almost immediately!” Z Modular’s website reads.

But letters sent from MCN Build executives to project managers at DGS this spring imply that the decision to hire Z Modular was one forced upon on them by DGS, and that they were uncomfortable with the decision. In fact, neither MCN Build nor DGS had ever worked on a modular construction project before, their communications show.

Neither, it seems, had Z Modular. An individual with intimate knowledge of the projects, who requested anonymity to speak freely about the city’s progress building each shelter, characterized the development of the Wards 7 and 8 shelters as behind schedule nearly from the beginning. The individual says Z Modular wowed the city when it presented officials with a flashy video presentation. (In a phone interview, Gillis cited Z Modular’s “innovation” as a draw for the company.)

But early this year, Z Modular’s lack of experience building modular structures became apparent to city officials, the individual says, and email communications show that officials appeared to grit their teeth and move ahead with the company despite a series of delays that threatened to destabilize the projects’ entire timelines.

“This was their first go-around. These were their guinea pig shelters,” the individual says. “The city [has] known for months that they’re behind schedule.””

And including the flashy video from Z Modular Construction about what they claimed they could deliver with this technology.