Big-D/Driscoll Project: Construction of Philly's Mormon Temple without Caffeine, Smoking, Swearing

It&#8217;s been two years since ground was broken in Center City on a massive Mormon temple and visitors&#8217; center, and it might just be one of the more remarkable construction sites in recent city history. Let&#8217;s just say the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) goes by its own rules — not those typically found in local union handbooks. And it makes sure those rules are enforced.
No smoking. No coffee. No swearing.
Praying optional — but encouraged.
To the union workers toiling away on-site, the 60,000 square foot project is vastly different from any they&#8217;ve undertaken before. 
At the time of the ground-breaking, Mayor Michael Nutter hailed the project at 18th and Vine Streets for its projected infusion of millions of dollars into the local economy, as well as the 300 construction jobs it would create.
Church officials contend the worship site is much-needed to serve the Philadelphia area&#8217;s estimated 35,000 parishioners. The closest area temples are in Manhattan and just outside of Washington, D.C. &#8220;That, while seemingly in distance isn&#8217;t very far in time to get there, in commitment and so forth, it becomes a struggle for families,&#8221; said Elder Robert Smith, the highest-ranking church official in northeastern North America. &#8220;So Philadelphia was chosen as a natural place to have us build a temple, and we are excited about it.&#8221; 
He said after the temple plans were announced in 2008, it took church officials between six and eight months to find the right property to build on. They then went forward with the purchase and planning of the project.
&#8220;We have found that the city council, the planning department, the Logan Square Association and the surrounding neighbors have all been very supportive about it,&#8221; Smith said, noting Nutter has also been a strong champion. &#8220;It&#8217;s been a great experience, and I think everyone feels like the addition of this building in the city will add to the value of the city in terms of beauty and architecture, and will be a beautiful piece of land when it&#8217;s finally finished.&#8221;
Though Philadelphia has plenty of experience handling large construction projects, when it comes to building sacred spaces, local building officials must bow to church leadership headquartered in Salt Lake City. The international LDS temple department is responsible for both commissioning and funding the project, as well as drawing up contractor agreements that contain some unusual requirements.
&#8220;There&#8217;s no smoking or coffee drinking, and, obviously, no booze or anything like that on the site, at all,&#8221; said Pat Gillespie, business representative for the Philadelphia Building Trades Council. Workers must go to a break area across the street if they want a fix of caffeine or nicotine. &#8220;The reason is because it&#8217;s holy ground,&#8221; said Steffanie Anderson, assistant regional director of LDS public affairs. &#8220;We dedicated it a couple years ago.&#8221;
Smith said the church considers the rising temple &#8220;a sacred edifice&#8221; being built on a site consecrated for its use. &#8220;We had a ground-breaking and a special prayer that made that happen, and we believe that we need to treat it with the same respect we would with one of our churches,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And so we&#8217;ve asked our contractors to follow similar things as we expect on all of our private property.&#8221; 
The temple&#8217;s building contracts also give hiring preference to union-affiliated Mormon workers in the Philadelphia region. But none could be found, aside from one carpenter who may join the team when his skills are needed during the project&#8217;s later stages. 
As is custom for LDS temple construction, each meeting with foremen and project managers at the Philadelphia site begins with a review of the day&#8217;s assignments and prayer — all under the watchful eyes of specially-appointed temple minders, who are always on-site to keep vigil over the proceedings.
&#8220;They&#8217;re very precise and attentive to the process,&#8221; Gillespie said, though he asserted any kind of prayer sessions are purely optional. 
Brother and Sister Carr&#8217;s &#8216;cookies!&#8217; Alex and Pamela Carr moved from Utah and will remain in Philadelphia until the temple&#8217;s construction is complete. Alex, with his plaid shirt and rolled-up sleeves, shock of white hair and piercing blue eyes, draws more than a passing resemblance to Paul Newman. When speaking, he easily lapses into folksy sermons, moving from pleasantries to parables and back again. He can rattle off at length endless facts about the tenets and customs of his faith — and bake a mean cookie. &#8220;Every Wednesday, he and his wife bake 100 cookies — homemade cookies — and they deliver them to the construction workers,&#8221; said Corinne Dougherty, LDS director of public affairs for the Philadelphia region. &#8220;The construction workers say, &#8216;It&#8217;s cookie Wednesday! It&#8217;s cookie Wednesday!&#8217; They love it.&#8221;
Located in the site&#8217;s parking lot, the visitor&#8217;s center is appointed with large poster boards depicting renderings of the temple and stacks of leaflets and literature about the LDS faith. Visitors are encouraged to take a pamphlet, a handful of candy from several glass bowls or a chunk of rock. Yes, rock. That&#8217;s another symbolic aspect of the construction. When workers dug about halfway down into the 30-foot pit that will serve as the temple&#8217;s underground parking garage, they hit granite. Many people would see the development as a setback — it took about six months to chip through — but Alex Carr saw it as a teaching moment. It brought to his mind a scripture passage in which Christ said a wise man builds his house on rock so it&#8217;s not toppled by winds and rains.
Each day the granite was exposed, Carr climbed down into the pit and returned with bucketfuls of rocks. He began giving them away to visiting youth groups and missionaries as a visual reminder of the importance of building one&#8217;s life on firm footing — the rock, of course, serving as an analogy for faith. He&#8217;s amassed an estimated 2,000 pieces of granite but expects he&#8217;ll soon run out: demand has been high. 
Soon, Carr plans to hold weekly Monday morning &#8220;job prayers&#8221; over the site, its workers and building materials. Though all of the project&#8217;s 100 workers are invited, attendance will be optional. He&#8217;s not sure anyone will show up, but he feels the temple&#8217;s construction is just as special as the worship services that will eventually take place inside the finished temple.
&#8216;Cleanest construction site he&#8217;s ever seen&#8217; 
Smith pointed to the ritualistic regulations as evidence of the Mormons&#8217; precision and pride, tenets he indicated have spread to the lay workers on site.
&#8220;In a recent meeting with Mayor Nutter, he made the comment that we have the cleanest construction site he&#8217;s ever seen in the city,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;We sweep the sidewalks and the roadways. The fencing is beautiful. It doesn&#8217;t have graffiti on it, and it&#8217;s reflective of the effort that the workers are putting into it. The workers have a certain pride about the project, so they feel it&#8217;s special as well. The experience we&#8217;ve had is that they feel a special spirit about the property and about the construction.&#8221;
He said the church is using top-notch building materials and enforcing safety rules and site inspections &#8220;to the highest standards.&#8221; For example, church officials looked at thousands of types of granite for the temple&#8217;s edifice before settling on one sourced from an island off the coast of Maine and shipped down from Quebec.
&#8220;We spend a lot of money per square foot to make that happen, and it&#8217;s worth it because we&#8217;ll have a building that will be in the city for not just decades but, we hope, centuries,&#8221; Smith said. He acknowledged the meticulous standards are likely to push the project&#8217;s budget over its initial $70 million estimate, though he was unable to say by how much. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to do our best to control the costs, but not at the expense of cheapening the project.&#8221; Construction is &#8220;right on schedule&#8221; for a 2016 completion, according to Anderson.
In August, the majority of concrete was poured for the substructure and two levels of underground parking are nearing completion. Workers are hoping to begin steel work in January on the temple, which will rise four stories above ground, or about 75 feet above the sidewalk. The exterior walls are slated to begin to rise next summer.
&#8220;It will be four stories of meeting rooms and worship centers &#8230; not a big, cavernous cathedral-type building, as maybe the outside presence would lead you to believe,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;It will be a beautiful structure once it&#8217;s done.&#8221; The building&#8217;s tallest of two spires &#8211; the east spire &#8211; has been meticulously measured so to be level with the tops of the adjacent Free Library of Philadelphia and family court buildings. The spire will be topped by a statue of the angel Moroni. The inside of the temple will have a Colonial feel riffing off Independence Hall, with rugs instead of carpeting and wood that&#8217;s painted &#8211; never stained.
Despite some of the more unusual requirements the project entails, Gillespie said he&#8217;s not aware any of the practices are deterring workers from signing on. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to make it seem like it&#8217;s a peculiar job,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a job with some unique requirements, but we&#8217;re happy to accommodate. The construction workers are versatile and they can adapt. This is what the customer wants, it&#8217;s a sound request and they&#8217;re paying the bill. It&#8217;s going to be a beautiful, beautiful building. This is phenomenal for the city.&#8221;

Big-D/Driscoll Project: Construction of Philly’s Mormon Temple without Caffeine, Smoking, Swearing

Big-D Midwest lends a helping hand with HEARTS & HAMMERS

Big-D Midwest is always thinking of ways to better their community in BIG ways and in small. Each year they partner with a local non-profit, Hearts &amp; Hammers, to volunteer for their annual Day of Service. With the office and field team in attendance, they paint, landscape, repair siding, clean out garages and even repair wheelchair ramps.
Hearts &amp; Hammers puts Big-D Midwest in touch with owners who need their assistance to restore their homes. Sharon was a previous homeowner and said, “I am just so thankful for the work that Big-D Construction did on my house. It took such a weight off my shoulders.”
Employee Jesse Sherman has been spearheading this collaboration for the last few years. He says, “It feels so good to give back to our community and have the opportunity to put my skills to use.”
The Big-D Midwest team is so grateful to Hearts &amp; Hammers for their continued partnership, and to their employees for always being willing to help their community.

HEARTS AND HAMMERS

HopeKids provides ongoing events, activities and a powerful, unique support community for families who have a child with cancer or some other life-­threatening medical condition. They surround these remarkable children and their families with the message that hope is a powerful medicine.
Members of the Big-D Midwest team patriciate in and sponsor the Annual Coleberry Golf Tournament benefitting HopeKids Minnesota nonprofit organization.
“Big-D has sponsored and been involved with HopeKids for many years, and we’re grateful for their partnership,” said Brian Anderson, Executive Director, HopeKids Minnesota. ​​​​​​​
Big-D Midwest is proud to have a continued partnership with HopeKids.

Hope Kids

One, two, three, jump! And jump they do into the frosty depths of an ice-cold lake, all for a good cause. Big-D Midwest annually raises money for Special Olympics at the Polar Plunge event.
Special Olympics Minnesota is helping to create a world that accepts and welcomes every single person regardless of ability or disability. The Polar Plunge is the biggest fundraiser for Special Olympics Minnesota. All funds raised by Plungers help Special Olympics Minnesota provide year-round training and services to thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities across the state.
“I have done the plunge in the past and love the opportunity to do something out of the box that supports a great cause,” said Jesse. “I was nervous about the colder than expected weather, but afterwards I felt invigorated. It was totally worth the ice-cold experience. Happy to have done it with the Big-D team and I would do it again!”

Polar Plunge for Special Olympics MN

Each year Big-D Midwest, along with many of our subcontractors, supports Toys for Tots &#8211; Twin Cities by collecting toys to be distributed to children within our community in need of holiday cheer. We are so grateful to the companies and employees who donate to the drive!

Toys For Tots

Big-D is thrilled to announce that we have opened a new office in St. George, Utah!

This new office will provide Big-D with the opportunity to expand in Southern Utah and create relationships in our new space at The Foundry—a campus built to elevate and inspire the design and construction industry in the region.
We look forward to providing advancement opportunities to our Big-D associates as we create meaningful impact in Southern Utah.
Congratulations and good luck to our St. George team!

This phrase holds two meanings for what we are trying to collectively accomplish as the most sought-after construction companies in the business.

“Here for Good” means being present in our communities for good causes.
“Here for Good” also means we are here to stay and build up our communities through charitable efforts.
Our first ever Week of Giving showed us that we can be “Here for Good” in every sense.
Thanks to all of our associates, friends, and families, who collectively donated $21,650 dollars during our inaugural Week of Giving—an amount we will match at the company level. Beyond the money donated, our team members across the country volunteered at local food banks and donated to food drives to support Feeding America and their mission to end hunger.

Here for Good.

The 90,000 sq. ft. Juniper Building will serve as the anchor to all of the ongoing efforts, especially as new buildings emerge and new students join in the excitement at the Herriman Campus.

“If you build it, they will come.”
The field of dreams in question turned into the Juniper Building, while &#8220;they&#8221; are the 1,000 students coming and going to classes this semester. Those students doubled the expected enrollment in year one at the Herriman Campus—the ongoing joint venture between Salt Lake Community College and the University of Utah to provide Utah’s South Valley students easier access to education and a seamless transition between the college’s two-year and university’s four-year programs.
Modern tech features in the many class and breakout rooms will advance remote and e-learning opportunities—all to promote each school’s desire to bring a higher education opportunities to potential students across the state. From functions like those, to form, where copper-colored terracotta panels and rammed earth walls tie the building design from ajc architects perfectly to place, with the copper mine and Oquirrh foothills visible just west of the site’s first structure.
The 90,000 sq. ft. Juniper Building will serve as the anchor to all of the ongoing efforts, especially as new buildings emerge and new students join in the excitement at the Herriman Campus.

Congrats to the entire project team for making it to 3,000 safe working hours. As our Big-D Pacific Builders teammates say, “KEEP PUSHIN’!” for a safe, collaborative job!

Safety. Trust. Respect. Expectation. Communication.
All of these words and concepts may have different meanings, but our Big-D Pacific Builders team showed how all combine to create a safety culture with their project teammates at the Yucaipa Logistics Center project.
They hosted a thank-you meeting for our subcontractors to celebrate 3,000 safe working hours while preparing new subcontractor teams on communication and job site expectations as work progresses across the 19-acre site.
Said Donovan, our Project Manager about the meeting, “It gives us an opportunity to get to know each individual worker on-site and build trust between the Big-D management staff and subcontractors. Trust and respect are what make the most successful projects.”
Give respect to everyone we work with, assemble the best people and teams committed to building with safety and professionalism, and follow through on promises and expectations—it’s how we stay on our mission to be the most sought-after construction company in business.

Congratulations to Galloway & Company, Inc., City of St. George, and our Big-D St. George team—we're excited to watch St. George City Hall emerge from the red rocks!

Back when the existing City Hall finished in 1980, 100 full-time employees served a population of just over 13,000 residents. How the city has grown since then! Today, well over 1,000 full- and part-time employees serve the 100,000-plus residents that call St. George home.
The building looks back to the past, namely its address at 61 Main Street giving a historical nod to when pioneers settled the area in 1861. But most importantly, the building looks forward to helping meet the current and future needs of St. George. When construction finishes in early 2025, employees and residents will be able to enjoy the 69,500-sq. ft. City Hall and the neighboring four-story parking garage in the heart of the city.
As the current City Hall has served admirably for over 40 years, Mayor Michelle Randall hinted at how she hoped future residents would see the new building. &#8220;In another 50 or 60 years, I hope our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will say ‘This City Hall served us well.’”

Congratulations to Galloway & Company, Inc., City of St. George, and our Big-D St. George team—we’re excited to watch St. George City Hall emerge from the red rocks!

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when getting 37,000 pounds of pipe systems from floor to ceiling.

Out in Burley, Idaho, Big-D National Food &amp; Beverage’s Project Suntado has involved the highest levels of coordination work—prefabrication, transportation, assembly—to prepare the project for the “Burley Big Boost,” when 35 team members lifted a 37,000-pound pipe rack assembly via 23 brand new chain hoists. The process of raising the rack and piping from the ground to the 40-foot-high final place took approximately six hours.
Old-fashioned muscle was a unique way the team put safety first as they met the demands of the project schedule. By working off the slab instead of 40 feet up in the air, minimizing labor hours, and focusing on quality control assurance, the lift was a success—and earned high praise from Suntado LLC Co-Owner Dirk Reitsma as he and his company look to provide consumers with shelf-stable milk, or milk that requires no refrigeration.
“It was incredible to watch the effort and ingenuity of Big-D and RM Mechanical, Inc to accomplish this part of the project for Suntado.&#8221;

Our first ever company-wide Week of Giving showed us that we are “Here for Good” in every sense.
Thanks to all of our associates, friends, and families, who collectively donated $21,650 dollars during our inaugural Week of Giving—an amount we matched at the company level. Beyond the money donated, our team members across the country volunteered at local food banks and donated to food drives to support Feeding America and their mission to end hunger.

Feeding America

In partnership with the Associated Builders and Contractors, Utah Chapter, Big-D Construction spent annual time with Utah Royal Kids of greater Salt Lake.

A religious organization, Utah Royal Kids exists to provide opportunities for children in the foster care system by creating positive, life-changing moments for innocent children who have been victims of neglect, abuse, and abandonment.
With support from ABC members, including Big-D Construction, children were presented with clothes, toys, fun activities, and food, including sweet treats from the Big-D ice cream truck. In return, our Big-D family members who volunteered their time, along with other ABC members, received gratitude, a fun-filled program the children prepared, and an opportunity to give back to the community.
“Participating in the Royal Kids event is truly a win-win for both the kids and ABC members. It is both humbling and gratifying to see the kids’ faces light up upon receiving ice cream and other gifts donated by supporters like Big-D, and I am grateful to be a part of a company that believes in giving back,” said Jim Allison, Big-D Salt Lake Vice President, and ABC Board Member.

Utah Royal Kids

The St. George office is Big-D’s newest addition to the Big-D Family of Companies. After decades of work in southern Utah, this new office enables us to better serve area clients by having a full-time presence. As St. George is projected to see extraordinary growth in the years to come, we are excited at the opportunities to play a part in building the future.
The St. George office is led by a team of outstanding construction professionals who consistently demonstrate the standards we were founded on. We call it The Big Idea and it is centered around Respect, People, and Truth. We give equal respect to employees and customers, we assemble the best people in the business to work on projects, and we always build with truth and integrity – if we say it, we do it. Just as Big-D Construction seeks to be the most sought-after construction company in the business, the St. George office has a similar goal of being the number one construction company in Southern Utah.

Big-D/Driscoll Project: Construction of Philly’s Mormon Temple without Caffeine, Smoking, Swearing

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Here for Good.

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when getting 37,000 pounds of pipe systems from floor to ceiling.

Big-D/Driscoll Project: Construction of Philly’s Mormon Temple without Caffeine, Smoking, Swearing

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News list

Recent News

Here for Good.

Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when getting 37,000 pounds of pipe systems from floor to ceiling.