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 The Montage Beverly Hills
Photos by Slobodan Dimitrov
Story by Roy San Filippo
When the construction of the $211 million Montage Beverly Hills is completed this November, Southern California will be home to the only six star hotel in the United States. The eight-story project being constructed at Canon and Wilshire Blvd will feature 201 guestrooms including 55 suites and two 2,000 square-foot Presidential Suites. The project also includes 25 condominiums.
The project was approved by Beverly Hills officials in 2004 and the project then passed a citywide vote in 2005. The project's approval was tied to the creation of a set of public amenities including a 30,000-square-foot public park and a 27,000-square-foot commercial building on adjoining land owned by the city.
Beverly Hills capped its contribution to these public projects at $32 million, though the cost to the Phoenix-based developer, the Athens Group, will be approximately $52 million.
 The Montage is being built on the site of the Beverly Theater, a 1920's movie house with a Taj Mahal inspired dome roof. That building was declared structurally unsafe in 2000.
Building Trades News visited the jobsite and interviewed members of Plasterers Local 200. Currently there are 32 expert plasterers from Southern California working on the project and the job is expected to man-up even more. According to KHS&S General Foreman Chuy Randon, the number of plasterers on the project will exceed 60 before they finish work in early November.
The project has gone smoothly so far, with approximately 35 percent of the plastering work already completed at the time of the Building Trades News site visit. KHS&S spent three months in preconstruction working out all of the bugs and problems before work even began, said KHS&S Project Superintendent Ron Faris.
"The RFI's on the project have been unusually low for a project of this size," said Faris.
"This is one of the most complicated projects I have ever worked on," said Randon who has been in the plasterer for 27 years. "It's not just straight walls. There are a lot of balconies, columns and other architectural elements. It's going to be a really beautiful building when it is done."
This is a cement plaster job with Dryvit Freestyle acrylic finish, said Local 200 Business Representative. "This is the smoothest, highest level finish available in the industry. It is very difficult to apply and this crew out here is making it look like child's play," said Fritchel. "Some finishes can hide mistakes but this finish hides nothing." According to Fritchel, General Contractor Pankow hired KHS&S because of their ability to work with a Freestyle finish. "A non-union company wouldn't have the capacity to do this type of job. They've tried and you could see the mistakes from a block away."
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Chuy Randon
General Foreman, 27 Years
I got into this trade by accident. I used to work in a factory and I was brought in to cover windows. They expected me to cover 20 windows in one day and I covered 42. They asked me to come back the next day and I increased my numbers the following day. Then I was asked to work everyday and I’ve been in this trade ever since.
The union workers get a lot more respect on big jobsites like this. When you come across non-union workers on jobs, they make a lot less money and don’t get any benefits. The union workers want everyone to be making good wages.They want the non-union workers to step up and join a union.
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Guillermo Amezquita
Journeyman, 20 years
This project has been going really well. Everyone is working like a team, like brothers, which is the way it should be. I’ve been working on every aspect of the trade on this job—from bottom to top. I started out working in the non-union trade. The union side pays much more attention to safety in my experience. It’s much more secure than non-union jobs. We all look out for each out here.
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Manny Botello
Journeyman, 10 Years
Being a union plasterer means I get medical benefits for me and my family. Our families depend on us. Working non-union you don’t get any of those benefits. You have to pay for that yourself.
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Alfredo Ulloa
Journeyman, 8 years
Union plasterers have more skills. We use a variety of different materials and finishes that the non-union workers don’t know how to use. It’s a much better future being in the union with the benefits and pension plan.
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Ignacio Medina
Journeyman, 10 Years
Because of the union, I was able to learn this craft. This is a good paying job with a pension and a retirement plan. |
Jose Llamas
Apprentice, Three months
I was unemployed and heard that the plasterers were having an open house so I went and joined. I’ve been given the opportunity to learn the craft on the job and at the training center. It’s a good job and career opportunity. I am looking forward to learning this craft. |
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