Alabama Report

Big storms, boomers provide reasons to build

By June Mathews

Hurricanes and baby boomers are currently influencing Alabama construction. In addition to a tremendous number of purely growth-related projects on the Gulf Coast, rebuilding efforts resulting from the August visit from Hurricane Katrina continue.

And as the baby boomers age, their changing needs spur changes in the types of construction required to meet those needs.

"Our total membership is busier than we've ever seen them," said Jay Reed, vice president of the Alabama Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). "A ton of construction is going on."

Although coastal recovery efforts have been underway for months, the actual rebuilding process has barely begun. Reed said once the process is in full swing there will be plenty of construction-related jobs to go around. But while that's good news, it could easily turn into bad news without some prior planning.

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"The down side comes when the true rebuilding of the coast is underway and we're faced with a worker shortage," said Reed. "So we're trying to form a coalition that will bring manpower to the coast from some of the surrounding states."

Dubbed the Gulf Coast Construction Initiative, this push for workers will be led by ABC in cooperation with contractors across the Southeast.

"I want to make it clear that we won't be trying to take away workers from those contractors," Reed said. "We want them to work with us on the rebuilding effort."

Reed said in addition to a healthy list of current and future coastal projects Alabama is also seeing a lot of health care construction. Baby boomers are aging and have an increasing number of health concerns, which has necessitated the construction of a growing number of health care facilities.

And the state's history of constructing world-class medical facilities has produced some highly-experienced health care contractors.

"Since we are fortunate enough to have first class facilities in Alabama, our contractors have positioned themselves to be at the forefront of the health care boom," said Reed. "We have contractors involved in health care projects all around the Southeast."

A variety of projects across the state, large and small, are keeping contractors in and around Alabama hopping. Companies are seeing a rise in infrastructure, manufacturing and education work.

Church building programs continue apace, as do a number of multi-use living and loft projects, an increasingly popular trend in the state's downtown areas. Here are some of the biggest projects of 2006:

Social Security Administration Center, Birmingham, Ala. Birmingham's Civil Rights District is the site of one of the largest development projects of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) outside the Capitol Beltway. And the $100 million Social Security Administration Center is expected to spur more development in the area.

Scheduled for completion in 2007, the 588,000-sq.-ft. facility will be eight stories tall and will incorporate such practical features as the use of natural light to increase energy efficiency. Approximately 2,200 employees will be able to enjoy the convenience of a full-service cafeteria, a childcare center, a credit union, a fitness center and a 1,765-space parking deck.

The Atlanta office of Opus South Corp., working in conjunction with HOK, is designing and constructing the building. As owner, Opus will lease the building to GSA for 20 years.

"Opus is proud to partner with GSA and SSA to design and construct this environmentally-friendly facility," said Duane Wood, Opus' vice-president of real estate.

Turquoise Place Condos I and II, Orange Beach, Ala. A matched set of shimmering turquoise-colored glass towers is one of the newest condominium developments gracing the horizon in coastal Alabama. Turquoise Place is a 400-unit property offering views of the Gulf of Mexico and a host of luxury amenities. The $110 million project is currently the largest construction project in Alabama.

The 24- to 32-story Turquoise Place is breaking new ground in the sense that prior developments of its kind were limited to 14 stories. The units will range from 2,400 to 5,900 sq. ft. of heated and cooled space and will feature hot tubs, outdoor balcony kitchens, plasma screen TV's mounted above gas fireplaces and other upscale touches. A 90-ft. walkway will connect the towers to the beach.

Located on one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on the Gulf Coast, Turquoise Place will provide owner access to pools, tennis courts, private beachfront cabanas, fitness centers and covered parking in a four-story garage.

Turquoise Place was designed by Forrest Daniel & Associates of Mobile, Ala. General contractor on the project is Yates Construction of Biloxi, Miss.

St. Vincent's Hospital's South Tower, Birmingham, Ala. Established in a rented house on the south side of Birmingham in 1898, St. Vincent's Hospital is now a thriving urban medical center meeting the needs of thousands of patients each year. As the hospital's patient base and services have expanded, so have its facilities.

The $53 million South Tower is the hospital's latest construction project in a 10-year expansion effort. Ground for the tower was broken as a new North Tower was being completed. The contractor on both projects is Birmingham's Brasfield & Gorrie LLC.

"The South Tower is similar in size and construction to the North Tower that we finished last year," said project manager Mike Dunn. "It's a concrete structure with exterior EFIS, glass and brick."

The 200,000-sq.-ft. facility will provide St. Vincent's with a larger emergency department and 90 new patient rooms. The project is scheduled for completion in February 2007.

Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Since first opening on the University of Alabama campus in September 1929, George Hutcheson Denny Stadium, now known as Bryant-Denny Stadium, has undergone periodic expansions to meet the demand for seating. Over the years, the facility has grown from a seating capacity of 12,000 to more than 80,000. Now it's growing again.

"We've continually sold out our stadium," said Thad Turnipseed, the university's director of capital projects.

Upgrades include a new plaza area leading up to the stadium, additional skyboxes, a club level area and traditional upper deck seating. About 10,000 seats will be added.

The new deck will be built on top of the existing north end zone bleachers and will include an upper deck to match the existing east and west upper decks. A large atrium lobby area will be added inside the new front of the north end zone.

Contractor on the $50 million project, scheduled for completion this month, is Brice Brice Building Co. of Birmingham.

Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Birmingham, Ala. In June 2005, the Jefferson County Commission approved a $52.4 million contact to expand the Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Located in the Fultondale area outside of Birmingham, the plant is an important component in maintaining the environmental health of the county's nearly 670,000 citizens.

Although compliant with safety standards, the decades-old facility was nearing capacity. John Blevins, vice president of B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, said the expansion, scheduled for completion in July 2008, will double the capacity of the plant to handle 40 million gallons of wastewater per day.

Upgrades include a new filtration system, two new clarifiers, a new aeration basin, a new holding basin and new sludge drying beds. A new computerized system will open and close valves, monitor the treatment process and adjust the plant's controls when needed. In addition to chlorine, the new system will utilize ultraviolet rays as a disinfecting measure before effluent is discharged into the creek.

Jo-Ann Distribution Center, Opelika, Ala. In April, the country's third Jo-Ann Distribution Center opened in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park near Interstate 85. The facility joins similar centers in Visalia, Calif., and Hudson, Ohio, and will supply key southern states with sewing, craft and decorating products. Initially employing about 200 people, the $45 million 700,000-sq.-ft. center should ultimately provide more than 400 jobs, becoming one of the largest employers in Opelika.

Greg Akers, project manager with the Haskell Co. of Jacksonville, Fla., said the facility was delivered on a fast-track schedule in just seven months and is highly automated using the latest in multi-level pick module, conveyor, sorting systems, and specialized computer-control and bar-coding technology.

For cost and time efficiency, load bearing tilt-up panel wall construction and conventional steel framing were used. The warehouse also contains the latest in sprinkler technology and a spot cooling system designed to provide a comfortable work environment for the center's employees.

The Center for Transportation Technology, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. Auburn University has long been known for its engineering programs and the new Center for Transportation Technology will only enhance that reputation. Part of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, the 194,000-sq.-ft. building will facilitate transportation-related research through the school's engineering programs.

"It's a very exciting project for the School of Engineering," said Robert White, a senior project manager with Hoar Construction of Birmingham. "It will be a very good recruiting tool that will attract a lot of quality engineering students to Auburn University."

The elements of construction for the center are basic - a concrete frame, brick veneer and limestone accents, said White. But the architecture of the center will echo the traditional style of other engineering buildings at Auburn.

"This will be everything you think a university building should look like," he said.

Scheduled for completion in September 2007, the Center for Transportation Technology will allow Auburn faculty and students to conduct research and develop approaches to challenges facing the transportation sector.

Von Braun Complex, MDA Center, Huntsville, Ala. Since the 1940s, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville has consistently been on the cutting edge of defense technology. With the construction of the new Von Braun Complex, the U.S. Army is demonstrating its commitment to maintaining and enhancing the facility's reputation.

The first phase of the complex was completed in 2003. In fall 2005, ground was broken for the $38.4 million Phase II.

The 222,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art facility will be home to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), with office space for approximately 950 people. The multi-story, multi-building project will include administrative, high security, computer and simulator areas. Along with the site work and utilities required for such a facility, high tech and communications systems requirements must also be met.

The contractor on the Von Braun project is Turner Construction Co. of Brentwood, Tenn. The architect is Goodrum Knowles, Inc. of Huntsville.