2014 Award of Excellence - Best Retail Rehabilitation, Mars Grocery Store - Bel Air

Summary

In November of 2011, Merritt completed a renovation of Mars Grocery Store’s Bel Air location, which included new slab with framing and several refrigeration and drainage lines. In addition, the sales floor included intricate millwork to differentiate the various sections of the store. Keeping in mind the importance of the holiday sales period for retailers, Merritt successfully adhered to an aggressive construction schedule, allowing the store to reopen in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. This project has won several awards, including a 2014 Award of Excellence from NAIOP-MD for Best Retail Rehabilitation.

Project Description

The Mars Super Markets project was a 45,000-square-foot renovation of an existing grocery store in Bel Air that had been partially demolished. Merritt began construction of the new store in June 2011 by removing portions of the slab to accommodate a large cooler and freezer boxes to facilitate the various needs of the grocery store including storage for the bakery, the deli and dairy and meat products.

Replacement of the new slab, along with the framing, had to be carefully planned in order to accommodate the prefabricated insulated panels, along with the various refrigeration and drainage lines associated with their uses. Structural modifications had to be made for the HVAC and refrigeration equipment on the roof, and electrical and gas services had to be upgraded with new provisions for an emergency backup generator on the exterior of the building.

Although the sales floor areas are mostly open, many of the finishes included intricate millwork to differentiate the sections of the store. Because of the detailing, the framing had to be precise in order to receive the millwork and tile work that created the sign panels and light covers throughout.

This project was delivered on time with cost savings, allowing the store to open a week before Thanksgiving in 2011.

Unique Features

The finishes within the renovated grocery store included intricate millwork in order to differentiate the sections of the store (the bakery, the dairy section, the seafood area, etc.). Because of the detailing for these sections, the framing had to be precise in order to receive the millwork and tile work that created the sign panels and light covers.