THE STORY: Thomas J. Bond’s mother loaned the upstart entrepreneur $500 in 1907 to start a construction business and he began building sidewalks in Everett, Mass. More than a century later, BOND Building Construction Inc. has built several projects all around New England, with colleges, nonprofits and health care centers among their clients. One of those recent clients was the Providence Public Library, which was seeking a fresh look.
› BOND helped transform the Providence Public Library’s 1950s-era wing and auditorium areas with infrastructure and safety upgrades. The building’s Empire Street entrance became a three-story-tall atrium, and glass walls were installed to create a light-filled concept.
› A new special collections space was built. The space now houses tens of thousands of historic books, manuscripts and photographs that represent more than 4,000 years of human history and culture.
› The project took 18 months to complete and it cost $29 million.
› Between 200 and 300 different workers representing various subcontractors, consultants and suppliers worked on the renovation, with daily crews of 75 working on-site.
› Frank Hayes, president of BOND Building, said the company felt “privileged to play a key role in this transformation, delivering a modern public learning space in the heart of the city that goes beyond the ideal library facility.”
COVID-AFFECTED: The COVID-19 pandemic began right as BOND’s renovation project was about to finish. The inspection process, the final step, was impeded temporarily. However, the project remained an open job site and was back on track within a few weeks.
