Run. Learn. Play. Socialize.
These activities are at the heart of four unique construction projects at four distinct locations—a Naval base, an urban ballpark, a nature preserve and a NASA research center. And four general contractors, drawing upon years of experience working on public and institutional projects, succeeded in achieving one ultimate goal: To build a space where people can spend time together.
Here’s a look at four projects earning high marks in sustainability and creativity in the parks and recreation sector.
Naval Air Station PensacolaAfter Hurricane Ivan devastated Florida’s northern Gulf Coast in 2004, the federal government awarded funds to the U.S. Navy to clean up its base at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, a pristine swath of beachfront property known as the Home of the Blue Angels.
It was an opportunity for the Navy to not only restore and protect the natural and architectural elements of the base, but also to draw a new set of visitors to the waterfront by creating trails for running and biking, a series of interactive public exhibits and a breathtaking sculpture capturing the awe of taking flight. NAS Pensacola is now a community space where military families and tourists alike can relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the base.
ValleyCrest Landscape Development, headquartered in Calabasas, Calif., with local offices throughout Florida, signed on as the design-build contractor to perform the mitigation, landscape design and reconstruction for the Navy’s two-year, 17-acre preservation and restoration program.
Following the removal of trees damaged by the hurricane, ValleyCrest designed and built new waterfront plazas, pavilions, boardwalks, nature trails, wetlands, woodlands and osprey nesting areas. The company partnered with local historical, environmental and civil engineering experts to make determinations about mitigating the storm damage and protecting the waterfront for years to come.
“Our partners were very important to the success of this project,” says Tom Donnelly, president of ValleyCrest Landscape Development. “Our collaboration with the Navy was very positive. The base commander was highly involved at the early part of the design, and the facility manager was extraordinarily involved in the concept and the choice of materials.”
The fact that the Navy had autonomy over the capital improvement program enhanced project communication as a whole, Donnelly says. “The Navy was much more accessible and, as a result, more involved in each step of the design and implementation process. It became an integrated approach, rather than a top-down approach. There was a lot of personal interaction going on, which made it a much more successful project.”
Ultimately, the Navy received the best value for its dollar, and a beautiful end result—making the project a great additional to ValleyCrest’s national portfolio. “We had a simple delivery system, happy customers and a fair profit—and that’s valuable,” Donnelly says.
The project opened to the public in spring 2009, and it recently made the national scene when President Obama visited NAS Pensacola on June 15 to announce his intent to help protect the shoreline against damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
In May, NAS Pensacola’s Port Operations Pollution Response Unit began laying out oil spill containment booms around the shoreline to mitigate possible damage to the ecosystem.
INFINITY at NASA Stennis Space Center
Not far from Pensacola, NASA is embarking on a project to build a $40 million state-of-the-art science and education facility, named INFINITY Science Center, which will serve as a major tourist attraction adjacent to the Mississippi Welcome Center and the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss.
The project is spearheaded by INFINITY Science Center, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in partnership with NASA, the state of Mississippi and a host of private sector donors. The Mississippi Department of Transportation, another project partner, is constructing a road into the new center to make it accessible from I-10 and the existing welcome center.
Roy Anderson Corp, a local contractor with a long history of working with NASA and the state of Mississippi, was selected among 16 general contractors to build the project. The company already is constructing two projects at the Stennis Space Center: an A3 Test Stand for NASA and a Science and Technology Center for Mississippi State University.
First conceived in 1999, the INFINITY project faced numerous challenges in getting off the ground: Sept. 11, Hurricane Katrina, a significant downturn in the economy, and now the largest environmental disaster in the nation’s history. But each challenge also revealed a silver lining, says Mark McDaniel, vice president of operations for Roy Anderson Corp.
“The 9/11 tragedy convinced NASA that it made sense to invest in an off-base location for a visitor attraction. The tax revenue from building material sales after Katrina made it possible for the state of Mississippi to allocate $12.5 million for INFINITY. The downturn in the economy precipitated a very favorable bid price for the construction of the building,” McDaniel says. “It is hard to imagine a silver lining from the oil spill, but our history has taught us that it is possible.”
The project broke ground May 3, with footings and vertical concrete construction completed in June. Structural steel arrived onsite July 1. The construction of the building is valued at $28 million, with another $10 million allocated for exhibits, interactive galleries, a theater, a gift shop and a cafeteria.
“INFINITY will stand as a model of how to do public-private partnerships right,” McDaniel says. “It is a fine example of how the federal government, the state of Mississippi and many private investors can work together to accomplish something much more effectively than any one entity could do alone.”
Stantec Architecture and Eley, Guild, Hardy designed the building to inspire younger generations to study and explore the next wave of science and technology, as well as to represent the state’s growing high-tech and aerospace industries. Exhibits will be housed in a 67,000-square-foot, two-story steel and glass structure rising 48 feet above the surrounding landscape. The structure is designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
While INFINITY is not seeking LEED certification, Roy Anderson Corp designated two LEED AP-certified employees to manage the project’s sustainable components: water and energy efficiency, renewable materials selection and indoor air quality. Green highlights will include permeable paving surfaces in the parking lot and a wastewater filtering system that uses aquatic plants.
Roy Anderson is working with a diverse mix of subcontractors, including CMC Rebar, Construction Supply Company, Delta Sanitation, Terracon Consultants, Pitman Glass Company, Modular Space Corporation, F.L. Crane & Sons, Bragg Drywall, Slay Steel, Commercial Doors & Hardware Plus, and James B. Donaghey Inc. Mechanical Contractors.
“We are extremely pleased to be involved in this important project for the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the state of Mississippi,” McDaniel says. “This facility will help educate millions of visitors about the history of the Stennis Space Center and the important role it continues to play in providing quality technical jobs for our national security and space exploration.”
Freedom Park and Big League Dreams
Last year, the city of Las Vegas hit a home run with its first ever design-build endeavor: Freedom Park and Big League Dreams. The $28.5 million project included 68 acres of park renovations as well as construction of a sparkling new baseball-themed complex with batting cages and six replica playing fields named after famous major league parks: Fenway, Wrigley, Yankee, Angel, Crosley and Dodger.
A partnership between the city of Las Vegas and Big League Dreams (a California-based company that owns nine other youth baseball facility franchises), the project set the goal of providing a public space where children, families and sports enthusiasts alike can gather in a safe, welcoming environment within the urban center of Las Vegas.
In 2008, after completing a large softball complex for the city of Las Vegas,
Roche Constructors, Greeley, Colo., won the contract based on its successful request for qualification/request for proposal.
Calling on its experience performing for various public and institutional clients, Roche completed the Freedom Park renovations nine weeks early in November 2009 and the Big League Dreams complex three weeks early in December 2009.
Las Vegas architecture firm Dekker/Perich/Sabatini assisted during the design phase, and Helix Electric, Inc., San Diego, was an integral player in the electrical design and construction.
“Las Vegas was a good location for Big League Dreams, which has other facilities throughout the Southwest. They had been working with the city for several years to plan this new venue, as they typically try to look for incentives and public-private options for partnering with cities,” says Wade Pope, vice president of operations for Roche Constructors.
“The city has grown so quickly, with other parks sprouting up in the suburbs, but the inner city hadn’t benefited from some of that development,” Pope explains. “This was a perfect location for the public dollars.”
Although Roche Constructors faced an aggressive schedule to complete all phases of this multifaceted job, the city’s choice of design-build delivery, combined with the absence of a project labor agreement, helped the company fast-track its work, Pope says.
To prevent maintenance troubles down the road, Roche made it a top priority to use strong, resilient building materials. The six baseball fields and two outdoor soccer fields are made of synthetic grass and have fixed tiered seating. Big League Dreams’ 30-year maintenance and operations agreement covers all expenses related to the sports park at no cost to the city, which shares in the gross revenue from the complex.
On Jan. 15, Big League Dreams officially opened its 10th facility, with a celebration that included current and former Major League Baseball players Jason and Jeremy Giambi, Bobby Grich, Wally Joyner and Bill Russell.
Another tourist draw for the city will be the adjacent Freedom Park, which offers three lighted picnic structures, an event and performance area, walking paths and a skate park. Additional amenities include two restaurants, administration and maintenance buildings, and a multipurpose fieldhouse with an indoor soccer field.
“It was one of those projects you feel lucky to be on,” Pope says. “We had a really positive experience with this high-profile project, and the community was very supportive.”
Swaner EcoCenter
On a 1,200-acre preserve just outside Park City, Utah, the new Swaner EcoCenter shows off 10,000 square feet of exhibits, as well as a contemporary theater, classroom, gift shop, climbing wall, 400-foot pier and four-story lookout tower.
This impressive structure, completed in just 12 months by
Big-D Construction of Salt Lake City, serves as a hub for youth programs, afterschool enrichment, stargazing parties, lecture and film series, and other private events.
The wetlands on which the new facility rests was a $35 million gift from the Swaner family to the nonprofit Swaner EcoCenter institution, which recently sold its ownership to Utah State University. The university now manages the property as an outdoor research laboratory and ecological preservation site.
Known as the “Greenest Building in Utah,” the $4.6 million Swaner EcoCenter was designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification to elevate visitors’ awareness of local and global environmental issues. Constructing the education center within a stringent set of sustainability requirements did not pose a significant challenge for Big-D Construction, which has built several LEED projects for public and private sector owners throughout Utah, including several projects for the National Park Service.
“This sustainable construction experience has been so critical in being short-listed and obtaining more work in the public sector,” says Forrest McNabb, Big-D’s senior vice president. The company was one of the first four contractors to earn Associated Builders and Contractors’ (ABC) Green Certified Contractor designation. “It’s been a real differentiator, and we catch a lot of attention with it.”
Acting as the construction management firm for the project, Big-D was extremely attentive to detail in its cost modeling to meet the nonprofit owner’s budget.
“You have to be dead-on in the cost modeling,” McNabb says. “That’s the biggest thing coming out of the gate. Then, you have to tie in the subcontractors and suppliers and hold them to that cost model.”
Long before work began at the site, Big-D was part of Swaner EcoCenter’s early vision of incorporating the elements of earth, air, water and sun into the overall building design.
A collaborative relationship among all project partners was the key to meeting the project’s green checklist. “The owner chose the right process by allowing us to be part of the collaborative team, right after the design concept. We were able to roll the team into the weekly meetings. We really got to know everyone, and the synergy gained from that was tremendous. Everyone’s commitment level was evident throughout the whole process,” McNabb says.
The team succeeded in earning 61 LEED points. Sustainable features include a water reclamation system for irrigation and greywater usage, photovoltaic solar panels, solar hot water heating, reclaimed timber, pervious paving, and energy-efficient mechanical and electrical controls. The facility even offers bike and ski racks, as well as onsite showers, to encourage visitors to use alternative transportation.
Seventy-five percent of all materials came from recycled or renewable sources, and the building offers 90 percent water savings and 54 percent energy savings.
Area subcontractors that helped achieve these accomplishments include Reynolds Brothers, Beacon Metals, Western Glass, Superior Insulation and B & B Specialties.
These team members had to be the best of the best, McNabb says. “Managing a LEED project of this magnitude is like having an expensive race car. You have to have your most talented, most skilled people working on it; otherwise it’s going to run like a dog.”
The project was awarded a 2008 Excellence in Construction award in Specialty Construction from ABC’s Utah Chapter, a 2009 Honor Award for Excellence in Sustainable Design from the American Institute of Architects-Utah, a 2009 Engineering Excellence Honor Award in Building/Technology Systems from the American Council of Engineering Companies, and several local business development awards.
Several other general contractors deserve recognition for building impressive public and community landmarks throughout the nation.
Clancy & Theys Construction Company, Orlando, Fla., recently completed Osceola County’s Robert Guevara Community Center expansion and renovation in Kissimmee, Fla. The project included 4,000 square feet of new conference rooms, offices, an exercise room and restrooms. In addition, the existing multipurpose room, medical area, kitchen and post office all received upgrades.
Hoar Program Management, Mobile, Ala., is overseeing the construction of the $36 million public-private National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico, the nation’s first museum dedicated to the heritage and culture of the Gulf Coast. The 90,000-square-foot project, the centerpiece of the Mobile Landing riverfront development, is slated to open later this year.
Johnson-Laux Construction, Orlando, Fla., completed the city of Tavares, Fla.’s new Wooten Park Splash Park, a 3,850-square-foot community project featuring pools and fountains, a scale-model seaplane and three new gazebos. Wooten Park is a gathering place for antique boat shows, farmers’ markets and afterschool activities.
Kraft Construction Company, Naples, Fla., completed 3,000 feet of boardwalk, walking trails, lake view pavilions, fountains, restrooms and a 2,500-square-foot education center at Naples’ Freedom Park. The city’s 50-acre project also included a Sept. 11-themed monument to patriotism.
MAC Construction & Excavating, New Albany, Ind., won a 2009 Excellence in Construction award from Associated Builders and Contractors’ Kentuckiana Chapter for its renovations to the Clarksville, Ind., Little League Park. The Redevelopment Authority of the Town of Clarksville recognized the company for outstanding work in the civil, public works and environmental construction sector.
McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc. (MBP), Fairfax, Va., was awarded a construction management contract in support of the $750 million National Park Service (NPS) program to enhance infrastructure across the country. The program funds 766 park projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In June, MBP began work in Denver to conduct a constructability review, work with local NPS staff on estimates and inspections, and mentor local project teams to ensure area projects are completed on time and on budget.
Milestone Construction Company, LLC, Springdale, Ark., built a $4.5 million, 17,500-square-foot visitor center at the Hobbes State Park Conservation Area east of Rogers, Ark. It was built with locally sourced and recycled materials, and features 40 geothermal wells beneath the parking lot. Completed in 2009, the project also includes a wildlife viewing area, park trails and an $800,000 exhibit gallery with a cave diorama.
SEDALCO Construction Services, Fort Worth, Texas, and HVAC contractor TDIndustries, Dallas, completed the Trinity River Audubon Center in 2009. The project involved removing 1.5 million tons of construction debris from an illegal dumping ground in Dallas and transforming the former brownfield into a sustainable facility. The construction team overcame delays resulting from record high river levels, completing the job one month before the scheduled grand opening.
The Stewart Perry Company, Inc., Birmingham, Ala., completed the new Ruffner Mountain Nature Center on 1,011 acres atop the Red Mountain range just outside downtown Birmingham. The sustainable facility—which features a rainwater collection system, a grass roof and 75 percent recycled materials—houses local wildlife such as raptors, snakes, turtles and owls. The $5.5 million project opened in the spring.