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
April 1 2015
65
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXVIII • No. 7
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
Birmingham Burb’s New $20M City Hall Well Under Way By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
Construction of the more than $20 million City Hall Complex is well under way in the Birmingham, Ala., suburb of Vestavia Hills. The building will serve both city employees and residents when it’s completed in September. The current city hall, which has been in existence since the early 1950s, is simply too small and outdated. “The city now has a population of over 35,000,” said Vestavia Hills Mayor Butch Zaragoza. “We are the third largest city in Jefferson County, and the 13th largest in the state. The city has grown in the last 12 years, and we have added staff as needed. “Additions cannot be made to our present facility. We have two and three employees working in the same office. The new complex will mean updated offices with more room to perform their duties.” The location is set back from busy Highway 31 and will not interfere with its redevelopment. It also will allow for civic events and serve as a community gathering space. “Holiday in the Hills,” the annual tree lighting and the “I Love America” series are among the events that could take place at the municipal complex. “The city doesn’t have a town square as some other cities do,” Zaragoza said. “The green space in the front of City Hall will be our town square.” The complex will consist of two buildings. One will serve as the main city hall building to house council chambers, administration offices, fire, public safety and the city clerk, as well as finance and IT. The other structure, roughly 28,000 sq. ft. (2,601.3 sq m), will house the city’s police and courts. BL Harbert is serving as construction manager. Stephen Riley, senior project manager said the project is going well. “Work is 40 percent complete,” Riley said. “Ongoing work on the new city hall building includes almost completed steel erection, ongoing truss erection, exterior metal framing and mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough in on the first floor. Steel erection is almost finished on the police building, with work continuing on truss erection and CMU block installation. Site work began in August of 2014, and foundations and slab on grade placements are complete. “The project included demolition of a Food World building and existing restaurant known as Joe’s Ranch House. A small amount of asbestos abatement was required at the Joe’s Ranch House building. Demolition work was performed by Tomlin Excavating. The demo work began in early April of 2014 and was completed in July.”
Site work began in August of 2014, and foundations and slab on grade placements are complete.
Construction includes the widening of Mayland Lane, an adjacent city street. This portion of the work is half complete. Additionally, the job includes alteration of the existing entryway into the new Municipal Complex from Hwy 31. “The project’s location presents coordination challenges which have been overcome through constant coordination efforts and continuous communication,” Riley said. “It’s directly adjacent to an active shopping plaza and the residential neighborhood. Deliveries to the site are coordinated, and the team works hard to ensure all parties are informed of the ongoing and upcoming work.” Riley said outdoor conditions are always a factor on construction projects. His team has worked to overcome any adverse weather incurred, and used weekends to make up for delays during the week. Veterans Landscaping Company Inc. was selected to handle major site work. John McLendon, project coordinator of Veterans Landscaping Company, said multi-prime construction has proven challenging, along with the completion date and schedule, the mall site for the size of the new buildings see COMPLEX page 2
Construction of the more than $20 million City Hall Complex is well underway in the Birmingham, Ala., suburb of Vestavia Hills.