Wayne J. Griffin Electric, Inc. has recently completed the electrical installation work at the J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center in Salem, Mass. Expecting a LEED Silver certification, the new 195,000-sq-ft facility has consolidated five court departments within two adjacent buildings. The expansive complex includes eleven courtrooms, a large jury pool room, 33 detainee cells, district attorney’s offices, and a grand jury room, in addition to administrative offices for over 200 staff, security officers, and judges. A new law library was created from the relocation, renovation, and preservation of Salem’s historic First Baptist Church.
Griffin Electric was responsible for installing a 3,000A service, with a 1,000kW generator onsite. Additionally, a complete high-rise fire alarm system, power and lighting branch circuits, including lighting control and light harvesting was set up by the Griffin Electric team. Telecommunications work included voice, data, and a video-structured cable system, utilizing UTP, plus copper, and fiber-optic and coaxial cabling. Also, the contract incorporated an extensive integrated electronic security system, which has a CCTV, intrusion detection, and access control systems.
Serving as the project’s construction manager was Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, Inc. of Holyoke, Mass., with Goody, Clancy & Associates, Inc. of Boston as the architect, and Cosentini of Cambridge, Mass,, the electrical engineer.
“With most new construction and building renovations, the electrical requirements are usually pretty standard,” said Wayne J. Griffin, president of Griffin Electric. “When a building is a historical preservation, though, extra care needs to be demonstrated with each contractor onsite, since the building’s integrity must be kept intact, especially considering all of the renovations and necessary code upgrades.”