Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New Power Transformer Building

Ensuring Continuing Operations During Construction
The Jacob K. Javits Center expansion involved the design-bid-build construction of a new Transformer Building to house the essential electrical infrastructure needed to power the entire expanded Javits campus. The $100 million building’s complex construction included the installation of miles of pipe and wire along with six 13.2kV Con Ed Primary Services with transformers; collector bus and associated equipment; 3Mw of standby generators; 2.5Mw of life safety generators, and six 13.2Kv automatic transfer switches and related equipment and feeders.

Construction of the Transformer Building, completed in November 2020, required significant coordination with Con Edison, the New York City Fire Department, and the team building the adjacent expansion and truck marshaling buildings into which the Transformer Building is fully integrated.

The new three-story facility was designed to be built in the same area as the old, single-story transformer building. To ensure no impact on ongoing Javits operations, the project team constructed the 2nd and 3rd floors of the new facility over the existing transformer building. The team then installed the new transformers, swung over all the feeders to the new transformers, and demolished the old transformers. Upon completing this work, the team built the new facility’s first floor.

Critical Management and Oversight
Group PMX delivered pre-purchase packages, submittals, and RFIs, reviewed contract drawings and shop drawings, performed schedule management, change order management, project controls and managed the installation, testing, and commissioning of the fire protection system, the high-tension utility service switchgear, isolation transformers, collector bus line up, mimic display panel, and medium voltage automatic transfer switches (MVATS).