News

For LivingSocial, Old is New

LivingSocial, the District-based daily deals company, is rapidly expanding in Washington and prefers reusing historical buildings that contribute to a playful, creative vibe executives want to cultivate.

This keeps Aaron Rinaca particularly busy. Rinaca’s background is in computer science, but he has dabbled in renovating houses. At LivingSocial, that means he quickly became head of real estate and construction, flying around the world to secure new space to accommodate the growth.

Rinaca’s latest local build-out is on the corner of Seventh Street and New York Avenue. Built in the late 1800s as a series of row houses, 1005-1011 Seventh St. NW was later converted into one building and purchased by Acme Stove. It was bought in 2005 by Douglas Development, and has since served as a temporary home for art exhibits and political campaign offices.

When Rinaca first toured the space, the basement had about a foot of water in it and signs of times past remained: pull-tab beer cans in the wall cavities, furniture advertisements in faded paint and basement coal shoots once used for heating homes. Rinaca said the three-story building had been out of use so long that “Pepco actually couldn’t find the listing for when it had service.”

Working with McCullough Construction, LivingSocial kept ceiling beams, window frames, moulding and nearly all the brick walls. (There was a failed attempt to preserve some old wallpaper.) It installed a roof deck and sump pumps in the basement, where the company has a conference room. Finally came the company’s motivational messaging to the interior and snack-filled kitchens in common areas.

Nearly 200 employees now work there, part of LivingSocial’s information technology, deal quality and editorial teams.

LivingSocial’s chief executive Tim O’Shaughnessy is the son-in-law of Washington Post chairman and chief executive Donald E. Graham.

“What makes McCullough Construction special is that they hold themselves to very high standards in everything that they undertake. They pay very close attention to detail during all phases of a project — and this includes pre-construction planning and post-construction punch-out. Aside from the actual physical construction, the individuals there have the highest level of honesty and integrity. We look forward to working with McCullough on many projects in the future.”

“McCullough Construction, LLC has performed several major renovations for our firm over the past eight years. The majority of these projects included a complete replacement of building mechanical and electrical systems. Their work has been superior, completed within the project schedule and within budget. We would not hesitate to have McCullough Construction work on any future projects and would highly recommend them.”

“McCullough played a key role in transforming a vacant lot into a distinctive Class A Office and Retail project in the heart of historic Annapolis, MD. They successfully addressed the many challenges of the project site and thrived in the urban environment. The City of Annapolis Mayor’s office called several times during the project’s construction to applaud McCullough efforts in minimizing any interference with the public and adjacent businesses. Tom McCullough’s personal involvement from pre-construction through closeout added confidence to the entire project team.”

“McCullough Construction, LLC recently completed a major renovation of our hotel in Washington, DC. The work took place in a fully operational hotel and included the renovation of structural, mechanical and plumbing systems. This project was a “fast track” project and McCullough Construction’s work was on time and under budget.”

Mccullough Construction, L.L.C.
5513 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 200, Washington, D.C. 20015

Office: 202-237-2415 • Fax: 202-237-2416
Office Email: mccinfo@mccullough-construction.com

Privacy Policy