Building it Big
By Tony Illia

An ambitious sprawling new project is reshaping the southwest Las Vegas Valley.

EJM Development Co. of Los Angeles, is building a 450-acre, 4.5-million-sq.-ft. mixed-use business park called "The Arroyo," along the north and south sides of the Interstate-215 Beltway between Rainbow Boulevard and Buffalo Drive in Las Vegas.

The ambitious, sprawling undertaking is four times larger than any project EJM has ever attempted and is reshaping the southwest Las Vegas Valley.

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Under a cooperative management agreement with the Clark County Department of Aviation, EJM has a 50-year ground lease to develop the site. In exchange, the public agency receives 50 percent of the profits.

"We have been developing and refining the master-plan for more than a year," said Kirk Boylston, EJM's Nevada regional director. "The Arroyo will have a cohesiveness of design and layout which will set it apart from similar projects in Las Vegas."

The $11 million first phase, which broke ground in May, consists of three single-level concrete tilt-wall industrial/warehouse buildings, totaling 30,556 -sq. -ft. LM Construction Co., Las Vegas, is the general contractor.

Situated on 26 acres between Rainbow Boulevard and Tenaya Way on the north side of I-215, phase one of The Arroyo is scheduled to finish in March.

Designed by RGA of Nevada, each double-height structure has divisibility beginning at 4,000- sq.- ft. The largest structure, Building C, is a 197,822-sq.-ft. cross-dock facility with a 30-ft.-high ceiling and an 800-ft.-long by 270-ft.-wide footprint.

The foundation is set atop a floor slab over 6-ft.-deep spread footings with a 5 percent slope, which saves on costs. The remaining two building are 65,934-sq.-ft. with a 20-ft. clearance, and 44,800-sq.-ft. with a 22-ft.-clearance.

There will be a total of 200 panels cast onsite, with the largest measuring 32 -ft. -wide by 43 -ft.-tall and weighing 153,500 lbs. AM Concrete Construction, Las Vegas, is the supplier/contractor.

The biggest panel will be up to 8 -in. -thick in order to withstand the sheer forces of erection. A total of 12,100-cu. yds of concrete will be used to construct the three buildings with pours of up to 900-cu. yards at one time. Dielco Crane Service, Las Vegas, is providing a 300-ton rubber-tired crane to erect the project's largest panels.

Each building emphasizes spatial flexibility and versatility. For example, Building C will be supported by 71 steel columns, measuring 8 -in. -sq. plus 120 -ft. of worth chevron bracing in the middle. The configuration enables a diversity of floor plans for large or small tenants on either side with room for expansion.

The smaller two buildings feature concrete sheer walls at midpoint that can be removed if needed.

Site preparation was a problem because of solid caliche more than 8 -ft. below the surface. As a result, Sanders Construction Inc. of Las Vegas, was hired to blast-out the hard rock with 16,000 sticks of dynamite explosives. Approximately 11,000 tons of dirt was excavated, some of which will be crushed onsite and used as an aggregate base while other material will be removed offsite. Las Vegas-based A Grading is the earthwork contractor.

"Blasting was approximately 20 percent cheaper and faster than using conventional excavation methods," said Larry Monkarsh, president of LM Construction. "However, material prices have increased 10 percent since we bid this project one year ago."

LM undertook some inventive methods to cut costs, including negotiating a 1 percent to 2 percent reduction from its subcontractors for quick payment within 30 days. Also, the contractor pre-ordered steel, and paid for concrete in advance in order to lock in prices. The company was eventually able to save up to 6 percent on the total project amount.

"There will be approximately 150 people onsite during the height of construction activity," said Don Morgan, LM's project manager. The firm will self-perform all of its metal-framing, stud, drywall and painting work.

Scheduled for build-out by 2014, The Arroyo calls for a total of 1 -million -sq. -ft. of industrial space, 800,000-sq.-ft. of retail, including both inline and big-box stores, and 1.5 -million -sq. -ft of suburban "Class A" office space. The remaining space will be build-to-suit structures and custom pads.

The next phase will consist of three additional concrete tilt-wall industrial/warehouse buildings, totaling approximately 300,000 -sq. -ft. It will be followed by up to 10 office buildings, ranging from two to six-stories tall in 2005.

JMA Architecture Studios of Las Vegas provided the master -planning for the development, which will be tied together by pedestrian paths, coloring, cohesive buildings and two-lane divided roadways with landscaped medians.

"This area''s access to McCarran International Airport, the Las Vegas Strip, and Interstate 15 has quickly made it a central business district," Boylston said. "With its I-215 access and location between Green Valley and Summerlin, the corridor offers an easy commute for employees on either end of the Las Vegas Valley."

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