November Calendar Spotlight: The Ark

Our featured calendar project is The Ark Expansion and Renovation in Chicago, Illinois. Bulley & Andrews (B&A) served as construction manager for The Ark’s 37,000-square-foot addition and renovation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive medical, legal, financial, nutritional, and social services for Chicagoland’s Jewish community. The project transformed the organization’s headquarters into a modern, welcoming facility that increased its footprint by nearly 60%, creating space to expand critical programs while better supporting the thousands of individuals and families who rely on its services each year.

Designed with dignity, accessibility and community in mind, the project reimagined both the client and staff experience. A new elevator, improved life safety systems and reconfigured spaces enhanced accessibility and operational efficiency, while the addition introduced thoughtfully designed amenities including The Market, a grocery-style food pantry that gives clients greater choice and privacy, expanded healthcare and pharmacy services, welcoming community gathering spaces, and dedicated wellness areas for staff. The team also designed building systems to accommodate Sabbath observance, reflecting The Ark’s commitment to serving its community with care and intention.

Working within a constrained urban site while renovating an active facility required innovative planning and close collaboration. The team successfully relocated existing utilities, engineered temporary support systems to safely construct a new elevator shaft within the existing structure, and resolved long-standing drainage challenges by replacing and rerouting underground storm and sanitary infrastructure. Throughout more than 54,000 labor hours, B&A maintained an exceptional safety record, completing the project with zero recordable incidents and zero lost-time accidents.

Today, The Ark is equipped to serve an additional 1,000 clients through expanded food assistance, healthcare, housing support, mental health services, financial counseling and family wellness programs. By combining thoughtful design with innovative construction solutions, B&A helped create a facility that will strengthen The Ark’s mission of building pathways to self-reliance and expanding its impact across the Chicagoland community for decades to come.