The Vibe
Multifamily General Contracting
Location
Bound Brook, NJ
ROLE
Multifamily General Contracting
TIME
Approximately 2 years
$0.00
Change Orders
Zero Surprises
The Challenges
The Vibe required excavating approximately 20 feet deep to accommodate the three-level automated parking stacker system, nearly three times the standard foundation depth for a building this size and something we don’t usually see in a building of this size.
That depth created conditions the original drawings hadn’t fully addressed. When excavation began, Deugen encountered an underground stream running directly beneath the project site. Continuing the planned excavation without solving the groundwater problem first wasn’t an option.
The project needed a dewatering system, sheet pile shoring, and retaining walls, none of which were factored into the original scope. Which meant all of it had to be designed, approved, and built before foundation work could continue.
The Process
Identifying the Issue During Plan Review
Deugen’s first major value-add came during plan review. The excavation depth required for the parking stacker system stood out immediately, especially for a multifamily building of this size.
Rather than waiting for the field team to run into a problem, Deugen flagged the below-grade risk early. That preparation gave the team a clearer path forward once excavation confirmed that additional measures would be required.
Redesigning the Below-Grade Approach
After the underground stream was discovered, Deugen worked with Reynolds and the project engineers to redesign the foundation approach around the site’s actual conditions.
A dewatering system was designed and installed to keep the excavation dry throughout foundation work. Sheet pile shoring and retaining walls were added to support the deeper excavation, while the site contractor and concrete contractor were closely coordinated around active dewatering operations.
Installing the Three-Level Parking System
Once the below-grade work was stabilized, Deugen moved forward with construction of the garage structure that would house the mechanically operated parking stacker system. The three-level system required careful coordination between trades, structural components, equipment requirements, and garage layout. For a compact infill site, this parking solution gave the building a major functional advantage without requiring the footprint of a larger development.
Managing Two Projects at Once
Construction on The Vibe ran alongside the final stages of The Mosaic on Main.
Deugen was managing one Reynolds project as it approached completion while bringing the next phase out of the ground. That meant coordinating two active job sites, maintaining safe and clean conditions at The Vibe, and minimizing disruption as The Mosaic began welcoming its first tenants.
The overlap required constant communication, tight sequencing, and a team that could keep both projects moving without letting either one lose attention.
The Results
Timeline:
- Delivered: February 2023
The Vibe brought 28 apartments and a three-level mechanically operated parking stacker system to Bound Brook, NJ. The project delivered a parking amenity typically associated with larger developments on a compact urban site that required significant below-grade problem-solving before vertical construction could begin.
Reynolds got what they came for: a completed phase two, delivered on budget, with a parking solution that helped set the building apart in the Bound Brook multifamily market.
Of multifamily development with automated parking in Bound Brook, NJ
What Getting Out of the Ground Actually Takes
Most multifamily construction in NJ doesn’t require 20-foot excavation. Most projects don’t have automated parking systems. And most sites don’t have underground streams that don’t show up in the original drawings.
The Vibe had all three.
Getting out of the ground on a project like this requires more than following the plans. It requires recognizing early when the plans aren’t enough, and having the preconstruction process to catch it before it becomes a field problem.
Because Deugen had already flagged the excavation depth as a concern, the team was prepared to respond when the underground conditions confirmed it. That is the difference between a project that loses months to a surprise and one that absorbs the complexity without losing control.
Project Gallery
The Vibe
Complete
Conclusion
The Vibe is what urban infill construction in NJ looks like when the site conditions don’t cooperate. An underground stream, 20-foot excavation, a dewatering system that wasn’t in the original scope, and a three-level automated parking stacker system that required precise coordination between trades to install correctly.
Reynolds trusted Deugen with phase two because of what we delivered on phase one. We returned that trust with a building that required solving problems most multifamily contractors never face – below grade, before anyone could see the work happening.
Planning a multifamily project with complex foundation or parking requirements in New Jersey? Reach out to Deugen and schedule a consultation today.
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