ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
®
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82 65
April 26 2017
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXX • No. 9
31
45
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
65 98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Project Serves Important Role in Montgomery By Cindy Riley
A $15 million housing development being built in Montgomery, Ala., will bring new life to a long neglected area. The first phase of Columbus Square will consist of 80 market-rate and affordable apartments/town homes. The new development is being built on land owned by the Montgomery Housing Authority (MHA). The community was designed in an industrial style, to blend with the downtown district. The site, located near Old Alabama Town, is within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, museums and a minor league baseball stadium. “Columbus Square is an important development project for the Montgomery Housing Authority, because it addresses the demand for high quality, affordable housing in the city of Montgomery,” said Evette Hester, executive director of the MHA. “It’s also an integral part of the city of Montgomery’s downtown revitalization plan. The new community will be comprised of affordable and market rate dwelling units. The first units will be available for occupancy in July/August 2017. In September 2016, MHA held an official event to launch the highly anticipated project. “The groundbreaking ceremony was an opportunity for the Montgomery Housing Authority to showcase the important work it does in the community on behalf of the citizens of Montgomery. It also has afforded us the opportunity to demonstrate that we care about families and the communities in which they live,” said Hester. “Government officials, business and community partners, along with former residents, came together to experience this historic event. Attendees walked away with commemorative gifts, including an original brick from the former Trenholm Court community with an engraving symbolizing both the past and future.” “Many former residents in attendance expressed gratitude, but also felt melancholy as they reminisced with friends about growing up in Trenholm Court, and appreciated the sense of community they shared. They also recalled that the old Trenholm Court was once considered state-ofthe art because, at that time, many homes in the city lacked indoor plumbing,” said Hester. In 2009, MHA submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requesting authorization to demolish 45 buildings at the site of the former Trenholm Court community, because of deterioration. At that time, it was determined the community was in need of major renovation and that the cost to renovate, including sustainable design and amenities, was com-
CEG CORRESPONDENT
parable to rebuilding. In 2011, MHA received approval from HUD to demolish Trenholm Court. Construction is progressing according to schedule and within the established budget. The first building at the former Trenholm Court was demolished in 2012. “Anytime the Montgomery Housing Authority and its partners are able to provide quality affordable housing to low-income individuals, which exponentially elevates the quality of life, it’s very gratifying. This is our purpose and mission,” said Hester.
According to Lois Cortell, senior development manager, department of development, city of Montgomery, “The Columbus Square project is going to be a very important project for downtown Montgomery, which is clearly renewing itself and moving forward. It has been ten years now since the city of Montgomery challenged itself to take on major catalytic investments, from the Riverwalk Amphitheater and Riverwalk Stadium for Biscuits AA Baseball, to the Cramton Bowl Multiplex sports arena, to see COLUMBUS page 6
Molly Foshee photo
The first phase of Columbus Square will consist of 80 market-rate and affordable apartments/town homes
Page 2 • April 26, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
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
791 Anderson Rd Montgomeryy,, AL 36110 6110 ((866)) 954-6522 2 4482
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 26, 2017 • Page 3
Page 4 • April 26, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Construction Equipment Guide • Alabama State Supplement • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • April 26, 2017 • Page 5
A Up to $22,800 Backk
*
Up to t $3,500 Back B
INC CLUDES 1.9% FINANCING I FOR 60 MONTHS & POWERTRAIN N EQUIPMENT PROTECTION PLAN PL S
Upp to $2,000 Back
I I
EWA
T
S
Up to $4,,600 Back FOR MORE INFORMA RMA ATION TION CONTTACT ACT T YOUR NEAREST THOMPSON TRACTOR LOCA ATION TION N FOR DETTAILS. AILS.
SKID STEER LOADERS
COMP PACT TRACK LOADERS
MULLTI TII TERRAIN LOA ADERS
MINI EXCA AV VATORS
BACKHOE LOADERS
SMALL DO OZERS
COMP PACT WHEELL LOADERS
SMALL WHEEL LOADERS
TELEHANDLERS HANDLERS
EXCA AV VATORS S
ALABAMA *Cash back amount may not reflect model of machine images shown. For complete details, ch heck with Thompson Tractor. Offer valid id from February 1, 2017 to June 30, 2017 on select new models of machines nes manufactured by Caterpillar Inc. Building Constru uction Products Division. T To o be eligible, eligible, a sales contract must be signed during during the offer period. Offer available only o at participating Cat dealers. Offer Offer is available to customers in the USA and Canada only and cannot be combined with any other o offers. Prior purchases do not qualify. Offer is subject to machine ava ailability. All new Building Construction on Product models are eligible for the promotion. The cash back offer is based sed on a predetermined amount for each machine that iss applied to the sale price. Cash back a amount varies by model. Customers must m apply cash back offer to the sale e price of the machine and can only be e used at the Cat dealer and must be redeemed on the date of purchase. The offer has no cas sh value and is not transferable. T To o receive recceive the interest rate offer offer, all remaining ning balances must be financed through gh Cat Financial and are subject to credit edit approval through Cat Financial. Finan inancing rate is subject to approval and some customers will not qualify. The interest rate offer is only for customers who qualify. Not all buyers may qualify. Higher rates tes apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. The Powertrain Equipment Protection rotection Plan (EPP) is provided through Cat Financia al for use at participating Cat dealers. EPP coverage varies by model. Final machine prices are subject to change. Prices do not include taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, delivery document fees, inspections, ections, additional options, or attachments. Progra am period and conditions subject to ch hange without prior notice and additio onal terms and conditions may apply. © 2017 Caterpillar. All A Rights Reserved. CA AT T, CA ATERPILLAR, TERPILLA AR, BUILT FOR IT T,, their respective logos, os, “Caterpillar Y Yellow ellow,” the “Power Edge” dge” trade dress, as well as corporate e and product identity used herein, are e trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used withoutt permission.
1 80 1-80 00 RENT 00-R ENT T--CA AT www w.thompsontractor.com m
FL
AU UBURN (334) 321-2030
DOTHAN (334) 673-3300
MOBILE (251) 452-1180
BIRMINGHAM MINGHAM (205) 326-0334
HUNTSVILLE (256) 532-3001
MONTGOMERY (334) 262-1101
OXFORD/ANNISTON RD/ANNISTON SHELBY COUNTY NTY (2556) 835-5737 (205) 664-9489 89 PENSACOLA ENSACOLA (8550) 471-6710
TUSCALOOSA SA (205) 247-3402 02
Page 6 • April 26, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide
Columbus Square to Help City’s Diverse Communities COLUMBUS from page 1
more recent investments like the Alley Entertainment District and Lower Dexter Avenue property and streetscape investments. “At long last, the seeds of these efforts have grown and spread to the private sector. Downtown revitalization is now decidedly underway, and Montgomery has positioned itself for future growth. Key to Montgomery’s downtown revitalization in the next years will be to work to broaden the mix of land uses, building types and housing options. “We are very keen to see more and more opportunities for people to live downtown. With those residents follow businesses and services to cater to them. The Columbus Square project does just that, and, as such, is a critically important part of meeting that goal. We look forward to seeing the property come back to life,” said Cortell. According to Cortell, as downtown Montgomery continues to see a revitalization, Columbus Square will serve an important role in the development of the city and the community. “This project is situated only a few blocks from the capitol and the business districts, where thousands of workers file into downtown every morning, at the dawn of a new work day. Its proximity to downtown not only provides an opportunity for its residents, but Columbus Square will also serve as an opportunity to the many businesses that are looking to fill positions within its workforce.” Apartments range in size from 731 sq. ft. (67.9 sq m) to 1,532 sq. ft. (142 sq m). Each upstairs unit has a private entrance and private stair, and within the three story buildings, the upstairs apartments are two-story townhouse type units occupying floors two and three of the building. Also involved in the project are Buffalo-based Norstar Development USA, LP and the architectural firm McKean & Associates, of Montgomery. John H. Foshee, Manager of Foshee Design & Construction, LLCFoshee, a licensed architect, general contractor and real estate broker, said because the site was home to a former a lowincome, public housing project, built in the 1950s, crews expected to find remnants of the previous buildings. “We were pleasantly surprised at how little building materials remained on site and underground, following the demolition of Trenholm Court several years ago. While the wonderful spirit of the former residence remained on site, all physical indications of the previous public housing project were
Molly Foshee photo
A $15 million housing development being built in Montgomery, Ala., will bring new life to a long neglected area.
removed years earlier. “While there have not been any large problems, this particular project offers some unique challenges, simply due to the number of people involved. It can be fascinating to
building. The rough trades, including plumbing, mechanical, electrical and fire sprinklers, are working their way through the first several buildings. The utility work included domestic water, fire line, sanitary sewer, and storm water. All new utilities tied into the city utilities underground, around the perimeter of the site. Erosion control is considered a constant battle that crews must continually maintain throughout the course of the project. Main equipment on site has included track hoes, dozers and mud trucks. With such a limited site, there was not a lot of room for larger equipment on the project, which includes concrete slab on grade, wood framed, brick and cement board siding, with metal and asphalt shingle roofing. Foshee also said the weather has Lois Cortell been an important factor during conCity of Montgomery struction. “Typically in the construction industry, we live and die at the hand of Mother Nature. At the very beginning of this particular project, we hit watch as the developer, the housing authori- a streak of two to three months with little to ty, the lender, the city, the architect and gen- no rain, which is very unusual in the middle eral contractor come together with each and of the summer in central Alabama. The timevery decision on the project.” ing could not have been better, as we were Currently, the internal roads and parking able to start the site work crews, mobilize the are complete, all concrete slabs are in place heavy equipment and begin turning dirt and framing is winding down on the last faster than anticipated. After only three
“This project is situated only a few blocks from the capitol and the business districts, where thousands of workers file into downtown every morning
months, we found ourselves a full month ahead of schedule.” As construction continues, officials await completion of the project, which has been described as a team achievement. According to John Knight, chairman of MHA’s board of commissioners, “This is a collaborative effort between the private and public sectors and is pivotal in transforming communities, in an era of dwindling public dollars. We thank the Alabama Housing Finance Authority, Mayor Todd Strange, the MHA board of commissioners and our development team for their unwavering commitment to providing high-quality, affordable housing to the citizens of Montgomery.” Columbus Square is one of a large number of development and renovation activities that MHA has been a part of recently to help the city’s economically diverse communities. The Montgomery Housing Authority administers a public housing program created to assist low to moderate income families with affordable, sustainable housing, while improving the quality of their lives and encouraging independence. MHA currently owns, manages and is affiliated with more than a half-dozen affordable housing communities, with the public housing program serving more than 1,400 families. (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 • April 26, 2017 • Page 7
Page 8 • April 26, 2017 • www.constructionequipmentguide.com • Alabama State Supplement • Construction Equipment Guide