Frozen food warehouse nearing completion at Greenville Yards in Jersey City. (New Jersey).

Barrett Builders is nearing completion of a state-of-the-art, 137,000-SF frozen food warehouse for Preferred Freezer Services, Inc. at the 50-acre Greenville Yards industrial development in Jersey City. Barrett Builders, a full-service builder/developer headquartered in Fort Lee, N.J., is the designated redeveloper for Greenville Yards.

Construction of the Zero -5[degrees] freezer storage facility began in June 2001, and proceeded at a. record pace to help the owner realize a Nov. 15 move-in date. Barrett Builders constructed the building on a cost-plus basis for Preferred Freezer Services, which provided design, engineering, and construction assistance.

According to Tom Barrett, president of Barrett Builders, LLC, his company utilized a carefully coordinated phase-completion method of construction, with one trade immediately following another at the 8.5-acre site. "For example, one day after the installation of the permanent roofing system, came finished floors," he explained. "Structural steel and decking were painted while they were erected. Lighting, refrigeration equipment, and fire sprinklers were all installed while the walls were erected, just following the roof installation. This sequence saved six to eight weeks in the construction schedule and avoided cross-trade interference later in the job.

"In the final stages of construction we worked closely with Preferred to get their equipment in quickly for a fast-track occupancy," Barrett added. "Communication and coordination were key because a Zero -5[degrees] facility requires a substantial amount of mechanical equipment, far surpassing any typical warehouse, not the least of which is a turbo-charged Caterpillar stand-by back-up generator system able to power the entire freezer facility."

The warehouse features a 44-foot ceiling height, while the industry average remains in the 30-foot range. "Ten years ago, this much storage capacity would have required 180,000 SF, but today's designs and technology allow for a higher roof and less floor area, which ultimately results in less wear and tear on equipment, with a lot less facility maintenance and utility expenses," Barrett noted.

The building's storage area, which will be maintained at a temperature of minus 5 Fahrenheit, features a capacity of 16,000 palettes or 28 million pounds of frozen food products. The freezer facility also houses a three-story, elevated office. The front of the facility is constructed of solid reinforced concrete panels, cast in place and tilted up into position. Recessed accents created by architectural reliefs form an attractive geometric design further enhancing the exterior wall system. Finally the office section is crowned by a "polar bear" logo - a replication of the owner's trademarked symbol - that Preferred had custom-made in Los Angeles.

According to John Galiher, president of Preferred Freezer Services, the building's advanced refrigeration system and specialized lighting make it "the most energy-efficient cold storage facility available today." Unique structural features and leading-edge cold warehousing technology make it truly one of the safest and most efficient buildings of its kind in the country," he added.