HGC Earns Eagle Award for 7 West 7th Apartments

Award winning adaptive reuse project turning the Macy's global headquarters into a 21 story residential building

HGC has been awarded an Eagle Award from the Associated Builders and Contractors Ohio Valley Chapter in the General Contractor: Renovation $10M to $100M category for its work on 7 West 7th Apartments.

The Eagle Award recognizes projects that demonstrate excellence in planning, coordination, and execution. HGC’s work stood out for transforming a high-rise office building into a 341 unit residential community while navigating complex existing conditions, active tenants, and a constrained downtown site.

Project Spotlight: 7 West 7th Apartments

Located in downtown Cincinnati, the project converted the former Macy’s global headquarters into a 21 story, 356,000 square foot residential building, that upon completion became the largest apartment community in the downtown core. Delivered at a time when demand for traditional office space had declined, the project represents a significant office-to-residential conversion, bringing new density and long-term value to the urban core.

This was not a typical renovation. It required a full reconfiguration of the building to support residential living, including the integration of new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems within an existing structure that lacked the infrastructure necessary for residential living.

Scope highlights included:

Building Within Constraints

The complexity of this project came from working within an active, constrained environment while completely transforming the building’s functionality. First-floor commercial tenants remained operational throughout construction, requiring continuous access, active life safety systems, and uninterrupted utilities. Work had to be carefully sequenced to avoid disruption to daily operations.

At the same time, construction was closely tied to an adjacent, independently operated parking garage. Major systems had to be routed through this space, requiring tight coordination, limited work windows, and maintained access for ongoing use.

Inside the building, the shift from open office layouts to residential units required significant redesign on each level. The residential units required significantly more vertical plumbing infrastructure than the original office design allowed, leading to strategic routing through existing structural systems without compromising integrity or constructability.

Logistics That Drove the Project

With limited staging space in a dense downtown location, traditional material handling was not possible. To maintain progress, the team implemented a just in time delivery strategy, coordinating closely with trade partners to ensure materials arrived exactly when needed and were immediately distributed to active work areas.

One of the most critical challenges was vertical material movement. Due to the building’s facade and location, an exterior hoist was not an option. Instead, the team developed an internal hoist system by repurposing existing elevator shafts. A custom rail and buck hoist system was installed within the building, creating a controlled, efficient way to move materials and personnel across all 21 floors.

This system became the backbone of the project’s logistics strategy, enabling consistent material flow while maintaining safety and productivity.

Coordinated Execution at Scale

With more than 253,000 man-hours and a 24-month schedule, the project required disciplined coordination from start to finish. The team implemented a flow scheduling approach, allowing trades to move floor by floor in a consistent sequence. Early phases were used to refine production rates, creating a repeatable rhythm that improved efficiency and reduced delays across the building.

Pull planning was also used to coordinate key milestones, including the removal of the internal hoist system, which required precise alignment across multiple trades to complete without impacting overall progress. Throughout the project, ongoing coordination, inspections, and communication ensured consistent quality across all units and common areas.

What This Award Represents

The 7 West 7th Apartments project demonstrates what defines HGC’s approach:

By transforming an underutilized office tower into a modern residential community, this project highlights how thoughtful construction can adapt existing structures to meet evolving market needs.