Alabama 1 January 3, 2018

Huntsville

20 Decatur

State Supplement sponsored by:

231

65

72 Florence

2

72

565 59

43 231

31

5

ALABAMA STATE EDITION

431

Gadsden

78 59

A Supplement to:

Anniston

20

Birmingham Bessemer

82 Tuscaloosa

65 280

20 82 Auburn

80

85

Selma

Phenix City

Montgomery

Happy New Year!

82 65

231

43 84 431 331

84

84 52 Dothan

31

45

2% financing* on

65 98

Mobile

10

®

January 3 2018

Gorilla Hydraulic Breakers • 2% Financing for 24 Months!!* • Models from 250-13,500 ft. lbs.

• Prices up to 50% below the competition • Ships in 48 hours to typical carriers • Fully supported by a 75-year family-owned business • Programs available for ALL buyers!*

CALL 800-367-4937

Vol. XXXI • No. 1

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”

AND START

STUFF TODAY!

www.gorillahammers.com

Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479

*On approved credit

Walker Excavating photo

The more than $9 million entertainment complex will include a movie theater, bowling alley and pizza kitchen.

Pell City Complex to Entertain Thousands When Complete 5G Studio rendering

A rendering of the completed entertainment complex

By Cindy Riley

In Pell City, Ala., construction crews are working on a highly anticipated project that will give residents a place to spend leisure time with family and friends. The more than $9 million entertainment complex will include a movie theater, bowling alley and pizza kitchen.

“This complex will be unlike anything else offered in our county and beyond,” said Brian Muenger, city manager.

“We anticipate significant traffic from our surrounding counties to enjoy the new facility. Providing quality options for our residents will help more of our citizens stay within the city for entertainment, and keep their tax dollars within the community.”

Officials have been trying to secure a theater for the past decade. Watching construction finally getting under way is extremely satisfying.

“The site is located in proximity to many of our major retail outlets, so many of our citizens and visitors have the chance to see the work regularly as it progresses,” said Muenger. “There’s incredible excitement, more than any other retail or industrial project I have seen. I get emails and

CEG CORRESPONDENT

see COMPLEX page 6

Former Fort McClellan HQ Sold for Independent Living Center ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) The agency created to redevelop a former Army base in Alabama has sold the headquarters area for $2.3 million to a group that plans to renovate it for $23 million as an independent living complex.

The McClellan Development Authority said the headquarters and four multi-story barracks are to be turned into

120 independent living apartments and other facilities including a clubhouse and fitness center.

Residents also will get priority access to assisted living and memory support units that already are open on the former Fort McClelland, which the Army closed in 2000.

The authority said bond sales are to finance the 10-acre project, with the sale planned in January and renovation and construction to start in 2019.

(This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.)

Page 2 • January 3, 2018 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • January 3, 2018 • Page 3

Page 4 • January 3, 2018 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • January 3, 2018 • Page 5

BUY A QUALIFYING NG NEW CAT MACHINE ®

*

AND GET

0% FOR 60 MONTHS + SKIP 4 PA AYMENTS A YEAR WE’LL THROW IN AN EQUIPMENT PROTECTION PL AN AT NO COST.**

FOR MO ORE INFORMA ATION TION CONTTACT ACT YOUR NEAREST NEEAREST THOM MPSON TRACTOR LOCA ATION TION FOR DETTAILS. A AILS. ALABAMA

FL

1-800-RENT T--CAT AT www.thompsontractor.com p

AUBURN (334) 321-2030 2030

DOTHAN (334) 673-3300

MOBILE (251) 452-1180

OXFORD/ANNISTON (256) 835-5737

SHELBY COUNTY (205) 664-9489

BIRMINGHAM HAM (205) 326-0334 0334

HUNTSVILLE (256) 532-3001

MONTGOMERY (334) 262-1101

PENSACOLA (850) 471-6710

TUSCALOOSA (205) 247-3402

*Offer valid from October 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 on all new models of machines manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. Building uilding Construction Products division. Financing and published rate and skip payment terms are subject to credit approval through Cat Financial for customers who qualify. Not all buyers ers may qualify qualify. No more than 4 skip payments can be obtained within a 12-month period. Interest will continue ontinue to accrue during skip payment p period. Higher rates apply for buyers with lower credit rating. Offer fer available only at participating Cat dealers. Flexible payment terms available ailable to those who qualify qualify. Offer is available to customers in the USA and Canada only and cannot be combined ombined with any other offers. Offer subject to machine m availability. Final machine prices are subject to change. Offer may change without prior notice and additional terms and conditions ns may apply apply. Contact your Cat dealer for details. **The Powertrain Equipment Protection Plan (EPP) is provided through Cat Financial for use at participating Cat dealers. Please see your participating Cat dealer er for details. © 2017 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CA AT T, CA ATERPILLAR, TERPILLAR, BUIL LT T FOR IT, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Y Yellow ellow,” , the “Power Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar pillar and may not n be used without permission.

Page 6 • January 3, 2018 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Blalock Building Co. Serves as Project’s General Contractor COMPLEX from page 1

calls from citizens inquiring about the status of the project, which is something you don’t see regularly.

“I think the synergy between the two primary features — bowling and movies — will be a huge plus for group events.

Having multiple options under one roof is something that will make this project stand apart from other theaters within our general area.”

Situated on the east side of the Birmingham metro area, Pell City has experienced significant growth during the past 15 years. According to Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Corporation, “The elected officials in Pell City have made investing in their city’s future a top priority. Because of this, their community has become a regional hub for health care, recreation, retail and manufacturing activity. The new entertainment complex will be another regional draw to pull consumers from within the city and from afar into their largest retail center. The highly visible location and close proximity to the interstate interchange will increase the entertainment center’s impact.

“As with many of the best economic development projects, this entertainment project has spanned multiple mayors and city council members. Initially, Mayor Adam Stocks championed the idea in 2007, but the recession of 2009 made the project unfeasible. In 2012, Mayor Joe Funderburg made it a top priority of his administration. We discussed the development with a number of the top theater operators in the country. The project was agreed upon and approved

by Mayor Bill Pruitt and the incoming city council.

“Pell City has some of the best commercial developers in the region. This new complex will increase economic activity in that area, and expand the community’s trade market.

All of this makes for a perfect environment for new retailers to invest and flourish. Their presence will add to the community’s economic engine, and help draw more consumers and visitors to Pell City.”

Gary Moore, owner of Big Spring, Texas-based Premiere Cinemas, said projects designed to bring people together for entertainment and recreation are vital for enhancing the community lifestyle and boosting the local economy.

“Jobs are created, and these facilities serve as catalysts, attracting other businesses into an area which spurs even more economic development.”

At 46,000 sq. ft., the complex will feature seven luxury recliner-style theatre auditoriums. Each seat is an electric reclining chair with its own private USB port and swivel table for dining. The lobby will feature automatic ticketing kiosks and self-serve popcorn stations and touch-screen soda fountains. The space also will include an ice cream station, coffee bar, café and a full bar.

In addition to watching films, patrons can take part in traditional and night-glow bowling. Plans also call for a largescale redemption arcade with 50 attractions, party rooms and an overhead ropes course with zip ride and plank walk.

“Going to the movies remains America’s most popular and affordable form of entertainment outside the home,” said Moore. “Bowling has made a major resurgence in popularity, and brings a complementary family experience, while promoting fun and physical fitness. Merging these popular attractions into a single facility creates a destination that draws from miles around, and turns what would otherwise be a two-hour outing into a four-hour stay-and-play day in Pell City.

“Pell City, located on I-20, provides excellent visibility and access to the new entertainment facility, which will serve

as a draw and a destination attraction from miles around,” said Moore, who noted that residents have had to make long drives to other cities to enjoy a film or a day at the lanes. “St. Clair County has some 87,000 residents, but no movie theatre or bowling alley to call its own. ” Years in the making, the construction effort had the backing of community leaders early on.

“Both Pell City and St. Clair County officials and residents got behind this project from the beginning,” said Moore. “Without the support of the local constituency working diligently to make this project a reality, it couldn’t have happened.”

Walker Excavating performed site work for the project, starting in January 2017.

“We were responsible for silt fence and other erosion control measures, as well as clearing, site grading, storm and sanitary sewer, fire and domestic water, stone on building pad, drive areas and parking lot, asphalt and curb and gutter,” said Michael Walker, project manager.

“The biggest challenge of the project was waiting for the rerouting of the existing power lines, because two of the dirt mounds the poles were on were in the building pad area.”

Walker said the job site was basically cleared, other than a

Walker Excavating photo

“This complex will be unlike anything else offered in our county and beyond,” said Brian Muenger, city manager.

few small pine trees and grass. Weather proved to be an issue, but was not a major factor.

“We had over two weeks of rain outs during the project, but other than not being able to work, and dealing with the mud, it didn’t affect our schedule.”

As part of their assignment, crews installed approximately 1,900 linear ft. of storm sewer and 15 curb and grate inlets.

The sanitary sewer required 620 linear ft. of 6-in. pipe, while the fire and domestic water consisted of 780 linear ft. of 2-ft. and 6-ft. pipe.

After fine grading the stone, the asphalt took about three days to complete. An estimated 16,000 cu. yds. of material was moved.

“We used one large excavator and articulated dump truck to move the on-site material, one D6R dozer to run the fill and a vibratory pad foot roller for compaction,” said Walker.

“The entire site was graded and stone spread using a D61PXI GPS dozer.”

Main materials required on the job were concrete pipe and approximately 7,500 tons of stone. Fine grading the stone on the site was the most time-consuming task, as crews tried to keep it within a 1/4 in. of sub-grade. Workers will return to the site after all other construction has been completed to put the wear coat on the asphalt.

“It’s always a rewarding feeling doing a project of this magnitude in our hometown, and having our company name affiliated with it, ” said Walker.

Blalock Building Co. Inc. serves as the project’s general contractor, while the firm 5G Studio is responsible for the architecture and interior design. Mike Voegtle, AIA, 5G Studio partner, said the creative team was committed to carrying out Premiere’s vision of being a world-class entertainment center, despite price limitations.

“Every project has its challenges, especially with the construction budget,” said Voegtle. “This facility was no different. Being that this project was several years in the making, we were always designing to construction costs that inevitably were increasing year to year. This was accomplished by utilizing local resources for materials and construction techniques, while being very cognizant of the floor plan efficiency and building systems. Through strategic and close collaboration with our client, we were able to monitor and manage all costs efficiently, while achieving a landmark design.

“The architectural style is a blend of industrialism and modernism. The industrial nature of a large, open and structurally exposed building lends itself well to the internal functions of the gaming and bowling. This is exemplified by the large structural spans of the pre-engineered structure.

Traditional steel framing was utilized at the entry and lobby to allow for larger spans of glass and architectural features, including the entrance canopy.”

Being respectful of the environment also was a consideration.

“Although the project goal was not to achieve a certified level of sustainability,” said Voegtle. “Our design team works to employ sustainable design practices and specifies sustainable and/or reusable building materials.

“Our hope is that this is a place people enjoy coming to, and take pride in knowing this is their new family entertainment center. The complex will provide wonderful entertainment for everyone, for years to come.”

(This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.) CEG

Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • January 3, 2018 • Page 7

TELESK KID.JCB.COM

Introducing a truly unique machin ne with endless possibilities.

The new w JCB Teleskid Teleskid is the first and on only nly skid steer and compact track lloader oader with a teelescopic boom, making it the most m versatile machine you’ve eveer seen.

It can liftft higherr,, reach further and dig de deeper eeper than any other skid steer o on the market and can access areas you wouldnn’t have thought possible, until no ow.

Contacct JCB of Alabama today and d be one of the first to demo this game changing piece of equipm ment.

JCBofAlabama.com 8920 W Weaver eavver A Ave ve Leeds, AL 35094 ((888)) 791-3173

210 W West est Blvd Montgomeryy,, AL 36108 6108 ((866)) 954-6522 2 4482

Page 8 • January 3, 2018 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide

Get the intelligen nt Machine Control advantage!

Visit us online or o drop by any of our branc ch locations throughout Alab bama, Georgia and northwest Florida.

F TEC1943 TEC1943.com

l Techno

Sh e r - GA age n a M y og