Chestnut Hill, MA — Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm, has been awarded the construction of Chabad at Chestnut Hill, a new 23,000-square-foot center that will support worship, education, and community programming for the growing Jewish community and the surrounding neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, and Roslindale.
Located on a site created by combining two former residential properties, the facility will include a synagogue, social hall, preschool and religious school classrooms, a commercial kitchen, a Mikvah, administrative offices, and outdoor gathering spaces. The exterior features stone and precast masonry, stucco, and lead-coated copper, and the site plan incorporates a rear courtyard, playground, parking, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Before construction began, Kaplan completed extensive site preparation. Because nearly the entire site was underlain by solid ledge, the team used drilling and blasting to prepare it while minimizing impacts on neighboring properties. Additional excavation was required for the below-grade Mikvah, which necessitated removing up to 20 feet of ledge in some areas. The team also encountered unexpected groundwater and ran a temporary dewatering system continuously for nearly three months while the structure was built and waterproofed.
“The Chabad at Chestnut Hill project represents an exciting opportunity to help create a lasting resource for the Jewish community,” said Nathan Peck, president of Kaplan Construction. “As a company headquartered just a few miles away, we’re proud to be part of a project that will have such a meaningful impact on the local community.”
“For many years, we’ve dreamed of creating a permanent home that reflects the warmth, energy, and growth of our community,” said Rabbi Mendy Uminer, lead rabbi and co-director of Chabad at Chestnut Hill.
Social Hall (credit: Adolfo Perez Architect)
