Image courtesy of PC Construction

By NOLAN POINTER

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – PC Construction, headquartered in South Burlington, has nearly completed the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel expansion in South Burlington, Vt. in the northwestern portion of the state.

This four-story, 47,000-square-foot expansion on the existing hotel campus will boost capacity at the midtown hotel by more than 20 percent.

Sixty-six new guest rooms and four suites will connect to the existing hotel by way of a new 400-square-foot sky bridge. A rooftop solar system with ballasted and penetrative mounting systems will provide increased energy efficiency while the construction of new gravel wetlands will support expanded stormwater control.

This facility is one of the first in New England to incorporate a state-of-the-art Ephoca AIO heat pump in each room to provide electric-powered heating and cooling. Engineered and manufactured in Italy, these units are installed inside, making them more efficient and aesthetically pleasing than traditional outdoor HVAC systems.

Constructed on a tight urban site, this project requires extensive subcontractor coordination and just-in-time material deliveries. Early work on the hotel expansion – such as site blasting, necessitated extensive pre-planning and coordination with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the City of South Burlington, hotel staff and subcontractors – allowed for the shutdown of the neighboring highway, major roadways, sidewalks and hotel entrances.

To stay on schedule and advance work through one of the coldest and windiest Vermont winters in recent years, the building was wrapped in fire-retardant tarp. The tarp provided a climate-controlled and enclosed building, protecting workers and materials from the harsh and wet outdoor conditions.