441
59
75
GEORGIA STATE EDITION
Cornella 19
A Supplement to:
Rome 85 27
Athens 441
Atlanta
20
Madison Augusta
85
20
Griffin 1
129
Milledgeville
75
La Grange
Macon
301
185 19
16
Dublin
Swainsboro Oak Park
Columbus
Statesboro
341 441 16
Lyons Americus
October 3 2012 Vol. XIV • No. 20
301
1
82
Dorchester
341
Cuthbert
75
Albany
84
Douglas Tifton
82
95
82
Blakely
Pearson
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Savannah
McRae Cordele
27
27 84
Moultrie
19 319
84
Bainbridge
Valdosta Thomasville
Waycross Brunswick 82
1 441
Your Georgia Connection: Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Sugar Hill’s New City Hall Hearkens Back to Classic Style By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
As construction crews continue work on a three-story, 300-sq.-ft., (250-sq m) turn-of-the-centurystyle city hall in Sugar Hill, Ga., community leaders envision a modern City Center with a traditional feel. Almost a decade in the planning, the three-quarter-mile stretch of Broad Street between Peachtree Industrial and Georgia Highway 20 will feature wide sidewalks, underground parking and globe street lamps — a sweet deal for a town that, according to legend, got its name after a wagon broke and spilled its load of sugar as it crossed an incline. “Our current City Hall was built in 1974, and we had to expand it seven years ago,” explained Sugar Hill City Manager Bob Hail. “It was a build we did to comply with ADA, and we needed additional employee working space. The city surveyed its citizens about eight years ago to determine what they expected the city to be and what services they would like expanded. They wanted a downtown where there would be small shops and easy walking access.” Located in northern Gwinnett County 35 mi. from Atlanta, Sugar Hill has a population of about 18,550. Chris Abbey, business development manager of general contractor Van Winkle Construction, pointed out, “Sugar Hill City Hall is designed to last 100 years or more. The City Council chose a design that would look timeless — a style that includes brick masonry, columns and a cupola with a clock. While looking like something built in the 1880s, it has to be a modern and functional building to house
city administration and operations, so it will have cutting edge technology and audio/visual elements.” Said Abbey, “The biggest challenge by far was the site. For decades, a manufacturing facility stood on the site and the operators had dumped manufacturing waste. During excavation we found enormous quantities of debris like glass, aluminum and shoe leather. The soil conditions were poor. In addition to digging down several feet and removing multiple truckloads of dirt and debris, we had to install Vibro-Piers in order to put the building foundation down.” Van Winkle Construction Superintendent Mickey Carver explained, “The trickiest thing
about this project is making sure the structural steel, which is on a grid system, the concrete, which is cast into multiple radii, and the cast stone, which contains several different compound radii, all fit together properly. We haven’t completed the cast stone yet, but I am pleased at how well it’s coming together. “The actual construction of City Hall is really not much different than most of the other projects we build. The key to success is actually less about the physical construction and more about meeting the changing needs of the client. This is nothing new to us at Van Winkle, due to the fact that we build a large number of church, private school and university projects. Most of
our projects contain high-end finishes, and our clients have very high expectations. We’re fortunate to have owners on this project that cared enough about their city hall to interview and select construction managers, instead of sacrificing quality for the artificial shortterm savings of bid day found in the hard bid market.” Carver said visitors will have a lot to take in upon entering the building, once completed. “As you walk through the main entrance, you’ll realize instantly that this isn’t just another city hall,” Carver elaborated. “The first thing you’ll notice is the monumental staircase that is sweeping along a radius from a central landing on top to either side of the main lobby
below. Centered in the room you will find a six-foot diameter cast bronze City Seal. Every detail is trimmed in wood. The Council Chamber has the same trim features, except more of them. The wooden panels on the walls are eight feet high in this room. This building has five different trim packages throughout. This work will take approximately ten weeks to complete.” Van Winkle’s crews are using lightweight cast stone on the project, which allowed them to eliminate the extra structure required to support cast stone or precast. The cupola, shipped in several pieces, is one of the most anticipated features of Sugar Hill City Hall. Once see CITY HALL page 6
“The actual construction of City Hall is really not much different than most of the other projects we build. The key to success is actually less about the physical construction and more about meeting the changing needs of the client.” Mickey Carver
Van Winkle Construction
Westerly view of city hall, black water proofed apse on the right, parking lot is on the left.
Rear elevation of Sugar Hill’s city hall building.