Hillis-Carnes provided Construction Materials Testing and Inspection Services for the construction of The Press, a $90 million residential development located on a 1.15-acre site along North Orange Street in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.  The project redevelops a former surface parking lot associated with the historic News Journal site and introduces 243 residential units, including studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as duplex-style homes.

The development is anchored by a 14-story high-rise residential tower along Orange Street featuring a contemporary glass and metal façade. Resident amenity spaces are located at ground level and on the fourth floor and include an indoor lounge, social dining areas, co-working space, and a rooftop deck with views of downtown Wilmington.

Complementing the tower is a four-story brick-clad residential building along 8th Street that includes two-story, three-bedroom duplexes with direct sidewalk access and two levels of apartment flats above. A landscaped courtyard and pocket park between the buildings provide publicly accessible seating and green space within the urban block.

Future phases of the development plan include a potential second residential tower along Tatnall Street and townhomes along Girard Street, further contributing to the continued revitalization of downtown Wilmington.

Hillis-Carnes provided construction materials testing and inspection services for the project, including field and laboratory testing of cast-in-place concrete, reinforcing steel inspections, and verification of post-tensioned concrete installations. Services also included structural steel inspections to verify proper member placement, bolt installation, welding, steel joists, shear studs, and metal decking in accordance with applicable standards. In addition, technicians performed sprayed fireproofing inspections to confirm thickness, bond strength, and material density, as well as field sampling and compressive strength testing of mortar and grout associated with structural load-bearing masonry. Optional floor flatness and levelness testing was also available to evaluate slab performance.

See a drone video here 801 N. Orange Street (youtube.com) of the construction progress on Orange Avenue, provided by BGPS Construction.