Revitalizing Downtown | Connecting Community

A main goal for the Pike Block project, a mixed-use development offering 150,000 SF of commercial, retail and residential space, was to engage the community and promote the walkability of downtown.

Satisfying Hunger in Our Region

With a current expansion project and through several annual fundraising events, we are proud to be partners with the Food Bank of CNY in giving back to our community.

TrueNorth Center for Children Opens

VIP’s team broke ground on the 15,000 SF design-build project in April and completed the facility in time for their students’ first day of school in September.

Keeping Our Community Healthy

Green building systems were used to construct the Catskill Recreation Center to help preserve the environment and reduce energy consumption to keep the community healthy and sustainable.

VIP Company Party at the Zoo

At VIP’s Annual Company Party, we take the time to recognize the employees who make a difference in the success of our company.

Timelessness of Timber Frame Construction

In 1998, our team was part of The Lodge at Welch Allyn project that continues to showcase the beauty and craftsmanship of this time honored method of construction.

VIP Summer Lunches

One of the many ways we bring the VIP team together is with our annual summer lunches. This is a great way for us to integrate fun into the workplace and create closer connections with one another.

Celebrating Our Natural Resources

The Fogo Island Inn is a true testament of how a community worked together to design and construct a restorative space for guests that pays homage to the natural landscape and traditional building methods, all while providing a sustainable community asset.

Building a Better Community Together

As the Design-CM team for the Salt City Market, we are taking a three-pronged approach to ensure this project is inclusive and a true neighborhood build from beginning to end.

HERE’S TO YOU, CREW!

We cannot thank our concrete and steel crews enough for their dedication in helping us deliver for our clients all year long. Plus watch our live-action True North Center for Children construction site.

HUMANECNY KENNEL CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSING

VIP value engineered a new design that significantly reduced the cost of the project and was truer to HumaneCNY’s needs. The renovated West Taft Road facility is already near completion, and scheduled to open this summer.

Brooklyn Pickle Gears Up for Third Location

VIP Architectural Associates is currently working with owners Ken and Craig on designing their third location. Their new 5,700 SF New York style deli will be located on Buckley Road in Liverpool.

Mohawk Valley Health System Embarks on New Medical Campus

The new campus will be a consolidation of St. Elizabeth and St. Luke’s hospitals, creating a new 672,000 SF modern medical facility that will sit on 72 consolidated parcels in the City of Utica. IPD’s role in this project is to design a state-of-the-art energy center for the campus.

VIP Honors Employees at Annual Summer Party

In June, VIP held the annual summer company party at Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards in LaFayette, NY. Among those celebrated were exemplary award winners who embody the core values of our company.

Syracuse Urban Partnership – Transforming a Lot on Salina Street

VIP Architectural Associates and its design team is collaborating with the Allyn Family Foundation to bring about a mixed-use development that is civically responsible and aligns with the Foundation’s vision of “building strong families and vibrant neighborhoods in Central New York.”

Helping Rebuild Historic Structures

The ANSCO Camera Factory building is being transformed into a mixed-use redevelopment. The project is currently under construction with an anticipated completion date of June 2019.

The Grant Process Transformed

VIP’s team has taken an active role in assisting our clients in navigating through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) process, which has helped foster growth in our region.

3D Laser Scanning of the Hotel Niagara

With over 700 scans and each scan averaging 40 million measured points, the laser scan truly captured reality for the project. In just four days all 15 floors of the hotel were captured using a combination of color, and black and white imagery.

Beads of Courage: Carry a Bead Program

Connor Radley is the 11-year-old son of our Controller, Erin Radley. In March, Connor represented Maureen’s Hope Foundation and their Beads of Courage: Carry a Bead program for the Syracuse Crunch hockey team.

Jane Amico Hired as Project Executive

We are excited to announce the hiring of Jane Amico as Project Executive. In her role, Amico is responsible for leading all client communication with internal team members for various projects.

2017: A Year of Growth

2017 was a year of great growth, including new hires and promotions. We are looking forward to another positive year ahead.

Architecture Favorite Project 2017

For Ed, the idea of re-imagining a space not just from a programming standpoint but from an aesthetic point of view allowed for a great deal of creativity.

Engineering Favorite Project 2017

Tom has a few favorite projects, but Kris-Tech Wire stands out. This was Tom’s first project as an integrated project manager and the first time he was able to witness first-hand the benefits of a true design-build project.

Construction Favorite Project 2017

The design of Masonic Labs and the research it conducts puts it in an elite category. It is one of three labs of this caliber globally, and upon completion it will be the most advanced lab of its kind.

Development Favorite Project 2017

“All VIP teams (Architecture, Engineering, Construction & Development) have been collaborating…the true meaning of the work we do at VIP. This project is a prime example of what VIP does best. We do it from a single source – purchase to punch list,” said Chuck.

VIP is a Proud Supporter of the United Way

As we come to the latter part of the year, we will once again ask our employees to support the local community through the United Way campaign. The United Way of CNY benefits a multitude of local organizations and nonprofits, a network of agencies, that work together to address the community’s most pressing needs.

Feldmeier Equipment Partners with VIP Structures

In March of this year, Feldmeier Equipment, Inc. awarded VIP Structures the design and construction of their new 125,000 SF headquarters facility in Syracuse, NY. Feldmeier Equipment is a third generation Central New York-based company that has been producing and supplying sanitary stainless steel vessels and equipment to the pharmaceutical, brewing, food, beverage, dairy and biotech industries since 1952.

VIP Hired as General Trades Contractor for Freedom Commons

VIP Structures was awarded the project in April of this year by the Norstar Building Corporation. Freedom Commons is a 2 and 3-story multi-family residential apartment building that will consist of 7 townhomes, 47 apartments, and community space on the first floor which includes some transitional housing units. It is expected to be finished in July of 2018.

Crescent Commons – A Design-Build Project for VIP

Crescent Commons is the $16-million adaptive re-use of the historic Crescent Corset factory in Cortland, NY. When completed, the 150,000 square foot building will feature 41,000 SF of commercial office space, more than half of which is already leased, and 47 loft-style apartments with amenities such as a lounge, exercise room, and a private courtyard.

SU Hall of Languages Classroom & Watson Theater Renovations

The phase 1 portion of the Hall of Languages and Watson Hall Auditorium projects occurred simultaneously, and both projects made the tight completion deadline so that Syracuse students and staff could enjoy the newly renovated spaces at the start of the fall 2017 semester.

Kate Nutting Appointed to the SU School of Architecture Advisory Board

Principal & Managing Member of VIP Architectural Associates (VIPAA), Katherine Nutting, was recently appointed to the Syracuse University Architecture Advisory Board. The Advisory Board exists to support the Dean, faculty and staff in their effort to make the School of Architecture the country’s leading institution for education and research in Architecture.

Safety Expert, Joe Perrone In-Demand

Our Safety Director, Joe Perrone, has been contracted to provide site safety services on site for two of Norstar Building Corporation’s sites. This work is separate from his VIP duties for Freedom Commons in Syracuse, and now independently for Norstar’s Roosevelt Residences project in Utica. Additionally, Joe has been hired as a guest speaker for the last 2 years by Suit-Kote Corp. for their annual safety update.

IPD Engineering Opens Buffalo Office

Sam Cosamano, P.E., LEED® AP, President of IPD said that, “A mixture of past project experience, established client relationships, and a booming local market naturally led us to extend our presence westward.” IPD’s second home is located on the twelfth floor of the Electric Tower Building, an iconic downtown Buffalo landmark.

Price Rite Partners with VIP Structures

This is the third store that VIP has partnered with Price Rite on. In keeping with VIP’s strategic directive to provide client-focused services, VIP also took an active role in procuring economic development incentives. VIP was able to put together an aggressive 12-week construction schedule which allowed Price Rite to open June 25, 2017.

VIP Hires New President of Construction, Ken Osmun

Ken is a licensed engineer by trade with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry. He’s a strong proponent of design-build and an integrator who spans across architecture, engineering and construction operations. Ken is always asking the question, “How can we add value to our clients’ goals?”

O-AT-KA Milk

O-AT-KA Milk enlisted the integrated VIP team to help them determine logistics for their 205,000 SF warehouse and 30,000 SF material handling building. The project was complete within the 11 month timeframe.

VIP Completes Syracuse Office Renovations for W.B. Mason

The 18,000 square foot office renovation included a complete reconfiguration of the existing layout which allowed for a more modern and open office area, new interior finishes, bathroom upgrades and lighting upgrades. VIP’s team was able to design and complete construction in just four months.

Holidays Signal the Giving Season at VIP

VIP participated in the annual Salvation Army toy and food drives that benefit local families in need for the Christmas Bureau Distribution. And, for the sixth straight year we participated in the Tops Supermarkets Food for Families campaign to benefit the Food Bank of CNY.

Bill Blanchard to Serve on Contact Community Services Board

Bill Blanchard, one of our Business Development Executives, will become President of the Board at Contact Community Services next year. Bill has been a member of the Board for the past 5 years, including serving on the Executive Committee for the past year in the role of Vice President of the Board.

Tidd Chosen for 2016 40 Under Forty

Meghan Tidd, Chief Marketing Officer, has been chosen as a 2016 40 Under Forty honoree. She was promoted to CMO in 2013 and oversees all sales and marketing for VIP. Meg also serves on the VIP Companies’ Senior Leadership Team.

VIP and the Plastics Molding Industry

Today, the plastics industry is a multi-million dollar business in the United States. VIP has had the opportunity to help shape this industry in Upstate New York with the completion of over 1 million SF of manufacturing space.

VIP and the Paper Manufacturing Industry

Our work with paper manufacturing began in the 1980’s with a 250,000 SF facility for Southern Container Corporation, now WestRock, a national supplier of paper and packaging products.

BNY Mellon Innovation Center

VIP Architecture partners with BNY Mellon in Oriskany, NY to transform traditional office space into modern, collaborative space.

New Ways of Adapting Office Space

VIP is always researching new design ideas and unique ways of adapting office space as the days of the traditional Open Office Plan seem to be numbered.

IPD Engineering and Hotel Syracuse

IPD Engineering was hired to design all new mechanical and electrical systems for the restoration of the Hotel Syracuse, now the Marriott Syracuse Downtown.

712 E. Fayette Street Project Reaches Its Completion

In May, VIP completed the 712 E. Fayette Street project, now known as Fayette Place. This 4-story, 39 unit apartment building that marks the first of many new student living facilities near the Syracuse University campus.

VIP Honors Exemplary Employees

In June, VIP celebrated all employees by throwing a company party at Beak & Skiff in LaFayette, NY. Among those celebrated were exemplary award winners who embody the core values of our company.

American Granby Warehouse Expansion

In April, VIP will complete a 42,000 SF addition for American Granby, increasing its state-of-the-art facility to 155,000 SF and providing American Granby the capacity to stock over 20,000 items.

Harvester Center – Mancuso Business Development Group

Since 1957, The Harvester Center in Batavia, New York has served over 2,700 businesses as the world’s first business incubator. Today, VIP is partnering with Mancuso Business Development Group and Batavia Development Corporation to study the best uses for the 960,000 SF of buildings.

VIP is a Proud Supporter of Leadership Greater Syracuse

In 2012 VIP Structures was introduced to Leadership Greater Syracuse. Since then, VIP has taken every opportunity to have employees partake in the program as a way to enhance their personal and professional growth, as well as their individual tie to the community.

Blue Rock

VIP has been hired to supply and erect a 500,000 SF pre-engineered building for a leading aluminum can manufacturer in Nichols, NY.

Price Rite

After successfully completing work on the first Price Rite store in the Syracuse area, we will be beginning work on our second store in the very near future.

O-AT-KA Groundbreaking

On September 10th, we officially broke ground on the Warehouse Expansion project at O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative…

American Granby

Work has begun on a $2.5M, 42,000 SF warehouse expansion at American Granby in a design-build capacity…