BAC Local 1 Connecticut Members Add New Residential Colleges to Yale Campus

JOURNAL: ISSUE 3 - 2016

Cast stone is used for gable coping along the roof lines.

From left, BAC Northeast Regional Director Al Catalano, BAC Executive Vice President Gerard Scarano, and BAC Local 1 CT President Gerald Marotti discussing the project.

For the first time in more than a half century, two new residential colleges will be added to Yale University's existing 12 residential colleges, thanks to the craftsmanship of the BAC members employed by signatory contractors Grande Masonry (Providence, RI) and Joe Capasso Mason Enterprises (Middletown, CT). 

Construction of the two new colleges — to be named Benjamin Franklin College (South College) and Pauli Murray College (North College) — broke ground last April at the corner of Sachem and Prospect Streets in New Haven, Connecticut. Each of the colleges will feature a common room, dining hall, library, academic and administrative offices, social and recreational spaces, a student theater, and student residences. 

BAC members working for Joe Capasso Mason Enterprises (JCME) are performing the masonry work on the South College while members employed by Grande Masonry are responsible for constructing the North College. The North College is under the supervision of Steve Grande, President of Grande Masonry, Field Manager Mark Grande, General Foremen Dave Perry and Bruce Valente, and Masonry Foremen Charles Smith and Kevin Perreault. The South College jobsite is led by Joe Capasso, President of JCME, Field Manager Ricky Delbuono, Project Manager Rocco Bracciale, General Foreman Josh Ballestrini, Mason Foremen Salvatore Scata, Travis Bonin, Chris Ross, and Andrea Di Tommaso, and Safety Manager Rick Nation. 

Remarkable cast stone is also featured surrounding the windows.

Quality brick and stone components demonstrate our members' detailed crafts.

A view through the scaffolding offers a glimpse of the warm red brick façades.

A group of skilled BAC Local 1 CT craftworkers on the jobsite.

BAC Local 1 CT apprentice Johnathon Kuhn, left, and bricklayer Aldo Barzola installing the stone and brick veneer.

Honoring the design of the existing residential colleges, the new colleges are being built around central courtyards, featuring brick and stone walls using hand-moulded sand cast brick embellished with meticulous granite and limestone tracery. The buildings also feature buttresses, pointed arches, leaded-glass windows, and limestone trim in Gothic style. From the beautiful passageway groin vaults to signature towers, the project shows exquisite attention to detail.

Steve Grande, President of Grande Masonry, praised BAC members' exceptional performance on the project. "The superior workmanship displayed on this extremely complex project is a testament to the value of the training and commitment that BAC members bring to the workplace."

The 90 bricklayers and stone masons working on the exterior and interior details of this project have logged more than 64,000 injury-free work hours to date. 

"Yale University has a strong masonry construction tradition throughout their campus. We are proud of building many of the University's projects including its Health Services Center which won the 2013 BAC Craft Award for its innovative use of masonry," BAC Local 1 CT President Gerald Marotti says. "The brick and stone components of these new residential colleges exemplify the finest skills of our members."   

Upon completion in August 2017, the colleges will allow the university to admit 200 more students each year, an increase of 15% in the undergraduate enrollment.

BAC Local 1 CT bricklayers Dave Delbuono, left, and Laszlo Quinn laying brick.

From left, BAC Local 1 CT member Damin Roberts, BAC Executive Vice President Tim Driscoll, Project Manager and Local 1 CT member Ricky Delbuono, and Project Executive Patrick Foley.

Project Manager and Local 1 CT member Ricky Delbuono, left, discusses the project with BAC Secretary-Treasurer Henry Kramer.

From left, BAC Local 1 CT President Gerald Marotti, reports work information to BAC Executive Vice Presidents Gerard Scarano and Tim Driscoll.