At the Tuesday evening, April 28th meeting of Amarillo City Council, Jerry Danforth, managing director of City of Amarillo Capital Projects & Development Engineering, went over a list of construction projects — some of which are already completed, some in the works and some in the design stage — to highlight their successes and new direction by working with all teams coordinating together.
Many of these projects are not as well known as the more focal points but are necessary for the infrastructure of the city.
Construction projects
Historic Bivins Home exterior. Danforth said that they recognized the Historic Bivins home as a gemstone for the city and revealed that the home, which now houses the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, Center City, Amarillo Convention & Visitors Bureau, had suffered major deterioration issues due to concealed drains. They worked hard to replace the drains and fix other issues related to the structural damage done by wear and tear, high winds and rain.
Amarillo Animal Management & Welfare. Walkways at the facility that had deteriorated have new, six-inch concrete paving, along with installation of a new trench drainage system to enhance pedestrian safety, improve accessibility and provide more effective stormwater management.
Sixth Street Bridge. To serve as a final link to direct pedestrian traffic and go directly to new Transit Multimodal Terminal and Transformation Park, the bridge will include a concrete walkway with ADA accessibility, a continuously lighted handrail system, as well as pole lighting to improve visibility and safety. Security fencing to be added. Project is in progress.
Central Library roof. The roof on the central downtown library had deteriorated and had rolled over to the CIP funding year after year, but it was finally addressed. The HVAC system has also been replaced. It is now in the design phase and will be involved moving the HVAC system.
Northwest Branch of Library. The branch also had a longstanding maintenance concern with persistent roof leaks and inadequate HVAC performance. The roofing was replaced with gravel roofing after 30 years of service. It took 10 days to complete, according to Danforth.
Commanche Trail Golf Course sewer line repairs. Major sewer repairs were required after the cast iron sewer line collapsed and had to be replaced at the golf course. New flooring was installed, along with cabinets and an ice maker.
Rick Klein Parking lot. New concrete curbing and new asphalt has been added to the lot, along with restriping parking stalls and traffic markings and landscaping.
John Stiff Park parking lots north & south. With parking lots needed, cars were parking in front of homes surrounding the park, so that has been remedied with new, spacious parking areas and improving traffic flow and parking capacity. However, as previously reported, the lots are designed for special use, and groups that would like access to the parking lots need to contact the city’s parks department in advance to open the gates.
John Stiff Park Roadway. Formerly, there was only one way in and out of John Stiff Park, which caused many road blocks but has been addressed by a paved concrete road east of the softball field and having an access point onto Bell to ease congestion and safely access park.
Civic Center Cooling Tower. The cooling tower at the Amarillo Civic Center is 30 years old, and 50% of the cooling system has to be design engineered. The sides of the unit are eroding, and the project is in the design phase.
Civic Center Boiler replacement. Removal of outdated boiler equipment and an addition of seven high efficiency boilers, along with a new expansion tank to modernize central heat. It is critical to providing consistent, efficient heating through the complex.
Civic Center Suffit Replacement. Stiff winds and dirt were causing the previous efface to erode, but they have been replaced by metal decks, according to Danforth.
Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum Ice Floor. New pipes were installed, along with a pump to support an upgraded brine system, with concrete and an ammonia system embedded under the concrete. The work was done in two weeks.
Civic Center Ice Plant. The motor for the ice plant was an ammonia-based system, which requires special workers, but the city was able to do it in-house by having those specialized workers.
Civic Center Restroom Renovations. The restrooms in the Civic Center have been there since the 1960s, according to Danforth. Many features were not ADA compliant, but the renovation will be completed by the time the Jehovah’s Witness convention starts.
Public Health Department. There were 90 doors and frames that needed to be replaced in the Public Health Department. Previously, they were residential doors that were 10 years old, so they are being replaced with commercial doors.
Simms Building HVAC system. The building previously used by Atmos had an HVAC system that is integral to the IT system of the city. They inherited several units, but with the units being more than 34 years old and key to the IT system, it was imperative to keep them updated.
Old City Hall Demolition. The old building cannot be saved or used for other uses, according to Danforth. It has settled and has asbestos issues, and it must be separated from the Civic Center portion, which it partially powers.
Transit North Heights Bus Stop. The work was done by the Facilities Department coordinating with Amarillo City Transit and planning & Development departments. It included traffic control, demolition, new concrete and placing of new benches, trash cans and shelters at North Heights. The new installation will benefit the area and help with traffic control.
Solid Waste Transfer Station. The interior and exterior of the station had to be addressed. A new ramp for concrete loading was added. Around 90% of Amarillo’s solid waste goes to the station and there are a lot of challenges, but it is in the design phase. Improvements also include a renovated control room and LED lighting throughout the facility.
City Service Center Emulsion tanks. Concrete slab foundation has been added, as well as a containment area. Three asphalt emulsion tanks also have been added, along with 66 light poles being retrofitted with new LED lights for better efficiency and lighting.
River Road WWTP. There were repairs to the concrete walls at the aeration basin, including treating vertical joints and cracks in basin walls to reduce leakage and prevent moisture intrusion into the joint system for more reliable operation of the treatment process and reduce future deterioration.
Emergency Operation Center. Built 18 years ago, the center is still functional but is getting some much-needed improvements and renovation. A two-phase initiative involves renovation of existing Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the basement of the Simms Building. Phase II will include construction of the Siren Warehouse, which will be a secondary EOC location in event of an emergency to meet demands of a growing community. The project is in design phase.
Fire Marshall Office. Improvements will include construction of new office space and lighting upgrades. There will also be a renovation of the reception area to better serve the community.
Fire Station #6. The cast iron plumbing collapsed had to be replaced after it was designated a total failure at a cost of $100,000, while keeping the station functional. Built in the ’70s, the line involved the City Sewer Department replacing the sewer tap connection to the main line. The sewer line was 20 feet below the surface, adding to the cost and time. The project has been completed.
New Fire Station #14. The new building is getting close to completion and is a showcase for fire stations. It is strategically positioned to enhance emergency response coverage to the medical center. The basement concrete has been successfully poured, and the project is in progress to serve a critical area of the city.
Drainage Department on Line Ave. Operations for the Water and Wastewater Development were moved to the renovated office at Line Avenue, which will contain the operations to the old water and wastewater facility at the Service Center.
Amarillo Municipal Court Parking. The parking lot of the Municipal Building was two feet higher than the building, so whenever it rained, the water poured into the building, and they had to get sand bags.
Police Department Chiller. The chiller at the Police Department was an R-22 system, which is 40 years old and holds 200 pounds of R-22, which has gone up to $45 a pound, so a design is in place to replace the system. Part of the alley will have to be cut up to remove the system.
Amarillo Police Department Locker Rooms. Being built to resemble high school locker rooms, they were built cheap and had a pole with five shower heads facing each other. The AC was lacking too and had to be replaced.
APD Homicide Dept. Water damage caused by cast iron pipes in the sewer line failing caused flooding on second floor. A complete renovation of the restroom, floors, cabinetry and paint resulted.
APD Fifth Floor remodel. Dubbed a crowning jewel, the fifth floor of the police department was renovated to have more office space, added the Amarillo Regional Crime Center (ARCC) and updated the restrooms. The area is now more functional and efficient.
Danforth explained the importance of development and how it involved sharing challenges and combining different departments.
He said of most of the projects that had been completed were done on time and under budget.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Find out where tax dollars are going in Amarillo city projects
Reporting by Nell Williams, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
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