Two high-profile projects at Arkansas State University were delivered this year, propelled by extremely different timetables.
The expanded and improved press box at Centennial Bank Stadium followed a fast-track schedule that officially kicked off on Dec. 2. The press box work entailed assembling a four-story building on stilts supported by enhanced seismic construction.
Two shifts typically pushed the project night and day, six days a week to the Sept. 12 finish.
The timeline was the major aspect of it, said Scott McDaniel, project coordinator at Jonesboro’s Ransoms Inc., with new challenges and problems to overcome.
“Everyday was Apollo 13,” McDaniel said. “It was a constantly fluid situation.
“We had an insane amount of moisture and ice we had to fight through. There were enormous quality expectations because people are paying good money for these suites.”
The 35,741-SF project, which included 42 lodge boxes, 20 suites and 300 club seats, was the most visible piece of a $24 million stadium upgrade.
Less than a mile to the southwest, the long-awaited completion of the Humanities & Social Sciences Building added a new landmark to the ASU campus in May.
Development of the $28 million showcase project spanned a decade as four rounds of funding pushed it forward from design to site work to shell construction to interior finishout.
“It’s a flagship building of the campus,” said Keith Chunn, chief project manager for Tate General Contractors Inc. “It’s just a beautiful building, with a wonderful atrium.”
The Jonesboro firm oversaw the development of the largest academic building at ASU as construction manager from start to finish. The 120,625-SF project houses classrooms, offices, two large auditoriums, computer labs and writing labs.
A ground-floor coffee and bagel eatery, Einstein Brothers Bagels, is enjoying booming popularity during its maiden year of operations.
“I was just in there the other day, and it is doing a tremendous amount of business — more than I envisioned,” Chunn said.
Seven miles north of ASU, Tate General Contractors is building a new middle school at Brookland to open for the 2016 academic year. The project is part of a $15 million contract that encompassed two additions that opened this school year: an elementary school building and pre-K facility.
“We’ve just been hired to build a new gym for the Brookland School District,” Chunn said. “It’s a $5 million-$6 million project.”
Fueled by annexation and aided by development pushed along U.S. 49 from Jonesboro, Brookland has more than doubled in population since 2006.
Back then, the headcount totaled 1,342. Today, the estimated tally is 3,150.
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