Alabama 17, August 23, 2023

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began in August 2022 on the new Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building and the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center.

By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is overseeing a $106.5 million project that will play a key role in the Heersink School of Medicine’s long-range plan to enhance research.

Construction began in August 2022 on the new Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences

Building and the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center.

“The Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine and Data Sciences Building will accelerate research in genomic medicine and computational biology and is central to the overall complex of interconnected research and support facilities located at UAB’s hub of basic and translational research enterprise,” said Denton Lunceford, assistant vice president, UAB facilities planning, design and construc-

Huntsville Approves Work On Apollo Park, Redstone Arsenal, OKs Interchange Project

The Huntsville, Ala., city council approved plans in late July to proceed with a $7.9 million construction contract with Lambert Contracting in Hollywood, Ala., to complete the final phase of Apollo Park at MidCity District.

When the work is finished in late 2024, the 20-acre park will feel similar to downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring Park.

Among its features will be two lagoons suitable for canoeing and kayaking, along with walking paths, swaths of open green space, trees and landscaping, the city said in a July 27 press release. In addition, a partnership with Arts

Huntsville and the National Fitness Campaign will provide a Fitness Court at the park with original artwork from world-famous artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

“This park represents the city’s commitment to offer recreational options for our residents in every part of Huntsville,” said Mayor Tommy Battle. “We look forward to its completion and delivering this beautiful recreation space to the community.”

Phase I of the project, completed in 2017, provided a

tion.

The 175,000-sq.-ft. facility will include space for computational research, research support, offices, administrative and scientific collaboration and meeting spaces designed to meet the needs of genomics and precision medicine investigators and their programs. The building has a total funding capacity of approximately $40 million, accommodating 80 faculty members and a total staff count

see UAB page 6

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Heine

Charles McKinstry photo Construction

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Resolute Way, I-565 Interchange Project On Schedule for 2026

INTERCHANGE

pond at the northern end of the park near the Topgolf facility, while Phase II developed the southern end at the Orion Amphitheater. The final phase will complete the central portion of the park by connecting the two previous phases with more public amenities.

Designs for the last section evolved as engineers focused on the functionality of water features to determine the appropriate scale for the available space and best techniques for managing elevation changes. The end result, city planners believe, will be a park that offers multiple ways to engage the water’s edge or float across the surface, pursue a favorite fitness routine, relax with a book or enjoy a picnic lunch.

“I have long advocated for more parks and recreational offerings for residents living in District 5 and am pleased to support this project,” said City Council President John Meredith in the news release. “Apollo Park will provide locals and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful oasis just steps away from dynamic concerts, sports offerings, restaurants, retail and urban living.”

Huntsville Parks & Recreation Director James Gossett added, “Apollo Park is a fantastic addition to the city, and we appreciate the enormous effort of the entire team that has made this park project a reality. Upon completion, it will offer unique features and endless opportunities for the public to connect with the outdoors in the heart of MidCity.”

Resolute Way Road Construction Ready for Liftoff

In another part of Huntsville, the Resolute Way interchange at Interstate 565, just west of Research Park Boulevard, and designed to improve access to the Army’s

Redstone Arsenal, is now scheduled for construction in three years.

That was the word in early August from the Arsenal’s Directorate of Public Works (DPW).

“The project is a four-lane divided roadway allowing access on and off I-565 from the west of Redstone Arsenal in order to alleviate traffic congestion and safety issues associated with the existing Research Park interchange,” Jake Roth, chief of master planning with the Garrison’s DPW, told the Redstone Rocket, published weekly by the Army Garrison-Redstone Public Affairs Office.

When complete, the interchange at I-565 will give Redstone Arsenal employees and personnel who work in the Redstone Gateway development another traffic route to get onto the installation or into the back of the Gateway development.

The interchange is one of seven road projects that the Huntsville Mayor highlighted in his State of the City address late last year.

Battle said then that the projects, part of the second phase of the Restore Our Roads initiative that was estimated to cost about $800 million, will “positively reshape how we move around the city.” The initiative also included the East Arsenal Connector that will run from the I-565 Sparkman Drive exit to Patton Road.

“We have a great relationship with the city and surrounding community and want to be aware of our impact on local roads,” Roth explained. “We appreciate the support of the city, ALDOT [Alabama Department of Transportation] and FHWA [Federal Highway Administration] in moving this project forward into the next stages of design.”

The Resolute Way project is slated for construction in

2026, he said.

“We have a long way to go and a lot of work to get done before then,” Roth added. “We have identified a route that seems to meet all Redstone and FHWA requirements and have conceptual plans in place.”

Additionally, the Arsenal’s DPW recently completed its environmental documentation for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, Roth said, noting that his office’s next steps will be in “working toward completed design drawings and [coordinating] with the city on real estate transactions necessary to allow the project to occur.”

NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions before making decisions, the Redstone Rocket noted in its Aug. 8 edition.

“Our current path forward is to complete an easement dedicated to the city for the construction of the interchange modification,” Roth told the base’s news source. “This area encompasses approximately 38 acres of Army property and requires use of existing right of way along I-565 as well as the potential for acquisition of 6.3 additional acres necessary to complete the roadway construction.”

The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is “our landholding command and would be ultimately responsible for determining the exact language and type of agreement executed between the Army and the city, state, or other federal entities,” according to Roth.

USACE will need to demolish two small existing buildings that remain in the field just west of Rideout Road, he said, and “we plan to begin that work late this calendar year to move forward with the required land transactions once unincumbered.” 

Tadano America Names CraneWorks as Authorized Distributor

Tadano America has added CraneWorks as an authorized distributor of Tadano all terrain, rough terrain and telescopic boom crawler cranes in the state of Alabama.

Based in Birmingham, CraneWorks offers cranes ranging from 2 to 500-ton capacity for sale and rental, as well as rigging, machinery moving, specialty hauling and equipment storage services. CraneWorks President Kenny Bishop is elated about the partnership with Tadano.

“We are super excited to partner with such an excellent team. We have been renting and servicing cranes for over 30 years, so becoming a distributor for the number one brand is a natural fit for us to better serve our customers,” he said.

Tadano America Regional Business Manager Todd Elkins welcomed CraneWorks to the Tadano distributor family in North America.

“We are so excited to work with Kenny and the CraneWorks team to assist them with new equipment purchases, service and parts. This expansion in the Tadano distributor network will be a benefit for existing and new customers in Alabama,” Elkins said.

“CraneWorks has an impressive customer base and track record across the state, and this partnership will help grow both of our businesses.”

CraneWorks has a wide range of Tadano cranes in stock and on the way, including several rough terrain machines as well as 3-, 4and 5-axle all terrain cranes. Both companies are extremely excited about this partnership and the significant commitment to service crane owners in Alabama.

For more information, visit www.tadanoamericas.com. 

(L-R) are Dan Melnyk, Tadano; Dean Barley, Tadano; Kenny Bishop, CraneWorks; Kirk Kelly, CraneWorks; Chris Scott, CraneWorks; Rusty Brooks, CraneWorks; and Todd Elkins, Tadano.

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UAB’s Genomic Medicine Center Due to Complete in 2024

of roughly 650, including those who work remotely, hybrid and on site.

The work on site includes both new construction and renovation of the existing Lyons-Harrison Research Building. The project’s biggest challenge is its connection to several other important clinical and research buildings, with crews responsible for maintaining those utility services.

“Construction is going well,” said Lunceford. “It’s a largescale renovation and addition to a building in the heart of campus and crossing a major avenue. Existing conditions, pedestrian and vehicular routing, connected and surrounding buildings all pose opportunities we are managing to ensure this project’s success.”

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by donors, dignitaries, supporters and key stakeholders who have contributed to the project.

“Right here in Birmingham, Alabama, the future of modern medicine is taking shape every day,” said Gov. Kay Ivey. “Genomic medicine is the future of healthcare, and yet again, Alabama is leading the nation in finding innovative ways to create a healthier society for us all.”

“This facility, made possible by the foresight and help of our state and local leaders, as well as generous donors, will position UAB and Alabama to be a global leader in precision medicine and genomic sciences, enhancing world-class clinical care for our community and beyond,” said UAB President Ray Watts. “Advancements in precision medicine, informatics and data sciences will now be accelerated, and we will gain greater understanding of the roles our genes and the environment play in major human diseases. These discoveries will lead to the development of new lifesaving treatments.”

Recently, crews have been pouring the concrete structure for the new tower and conference center. Renovation for the existing portion of the building includes utility and infrastructure upgrades. Framing and installation of drywall have also taken place.

Concrete foundations for the tower addition have already been completed, along with concrete placement on levels one through four of the new tower and conference center.

Interior wall mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-in has also been completed on several floors.

Key tasks remaining include separation of the chilled water utilities from surrounding buildings, completion of the new tower and conference center concrete structure, new roofing for the existing portion of the building and exterior renovation on the existing structure. Elevator replacement and installation of finishes must also be completed.

Demolition of the Kracke Building and the Pittman Center for Advanced Medical Studies began in July 2021 and was completed the following January. Selective and controlled demolition was used, due to proximity to the other structures. Crews relied on dump trucks, trackhoes, extended boom trackhoes, track excavators and skid steers.

“It went well, with no notable issues,” said Lunceford. “This is a LEED project, and recyclable materials were collected and tracked. We used roll-off trucks and dumpsters to transport the material off site.”

Because the project included demolition of existing buildings, site prep and new ground-up concrete structures, rain caused some rescheduling of work, but nothing unexpected.

“The site work included the removal of foundations for the demolished buildings. We also performed an undercut, backfill and compaction to prepare for new construction foundations. Foundations for the new tower required piers to be drilled and poured with concrete.”

Crews removed foundations for the demolished buildings using a trackhoe with a hydraulic hammer/breaker attachment to pulverize the concrete into smaller chunks that were removed by an excavator bucket. The site was relatively flat, with most dirt movement associated with new structure foundations and will include topsoil for newly created green space.

As for unexpected issues, Lunceford said, “We anticipated some complexities with existing utility separation. We encountered an abandoned steam line that we had to remove, and isolation of chilled water and domestic water was complicated due to existing valves needing to be replaced.”

Main equipment on the project includes a tower crane, 110 Brokk robotic excavator, vacuum truck, concrete pump trucks, track excavators, skid steer, swing stages and scaffolding. Concrete, metal studs, drywall and glazed aluminum curtain wall are among the main materials being used.

M.J. Harris Construction Services LLC serves as the contractor, with D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company Inc. handling the demolition. Williams Blackstock Architects also is part of the project team.

According to the official news release, the project is being funded through $50 million from the state of Alabama via the Public School and College Authority, which is the largest-ever investment from the state in a university facility. UAB will recruit more than 75 additional investigators and 350 new support staff over the next five-plus years to work alongside the current team of researchers.

Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2024.

“This has been a fun project to watch because of the demanding timeline, the location in the center of our research and clinical spaces, and the transformation it is bringing to this space,” said Greg Parsons, UAB’s associate vice president and chief facilities officer. “The most rewarding part is knowing how impactful the collaborative research will be to our campus, city, county, state and to the world.”

Ben Heine and Charles McKinstry photo UAB is overseeing a $106.5 million project that will play a key role in the Heersink School of Medicine’s long-range plan to enhance research.

Charles McKinstry photo

The work on site includes both new construction and renovation of the existing Lyons-Harrison Research Building.

Ben Heine and Charles McKinstry photo Construction is expected to be completed in summer 2024.

Ben Heine and Charles McKinstry photo Because the project included demolition of existing buildings, site prep and new ground-up concrete structures, rain caused some rescheduling of work, but nothing unexpected.