Dysart Elementary School, located at 12950 W. Varney Rd. in El Mirage, is undergoing a $6 million makeover to multiple areas throughout the campus.

D.L. Withers Construction is the construction manager at risk working in collaboration with the Dysart Unified School District and Gilleland Brubaker Architects Ltd. The project team has had an extensive history working on projects with the DUSD, previously performing additions to new classrooms and to the P.E. building on the Dysart Elementary School campus back in 2005.

The building renovations include five additional classrooms and a new wing connected to the existing main building that will house all the classrooms that are in peripheral buildings. This will allow the school to designate certain areas for each grade level and logistically create spaces for groups that will enhance collaboration and positively affect student achievement. The fine arts department will get an updated stage and added rooms specifically designed to support the band and music programs.

Exterior changes will improve the safety of students and staff. The bus lane will become independent of the parent pick up/drop off and a new front parking area will be constructed with space enough to accommodate the community and staff.

Crews Install Netting on Civic Space Sculpture

Crews worked to complete the installation of a major work of public art that will be the focal point of the new Downtown Civic Space, now under construction at Taylor Street and Central Avenue.

Downtown Civic Space Sculpture, Phoenix, Ariz

Designed by artist Janet Echelman, the iconic artwork is made of flexible netting suspended 38 ft above the ground on a framework of steel rings, cables and poles. The netting is designed to billow and move in the wind. The $2.5 million project will rise to an overall height of 100 ft and be about 100 ft wide at the top. Specialized lighting will give the sculpture a landmark presence at night. During this final phase of installation, crews attached the sculptural netting to the steel rings.

A union of art and engineering, the sculpture’s unique structure received the Excellence in Structural Engineering Award from the Arizona Structural Engineers Association in June 2008. The award was given to Tucson-based M3 Engineering and Technology, a member of the sculpture’s design and fabrication team, which is led by CAID Industries, also of Tucson.

The project was commissioned by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program using the city’s percent-for-art art funds.

Bureau of Reclamation Awards $1.98 Million Yuma Desalting Plant Contract

A $1.98 million contract was awarded by the Bureau of Reclamation to KCorp Technology Services Inc. to provide a range of operation and maintenance support services for Reclamation’s Yuma Desalting Plant and associated facilities.

The contract was awarded for a base period of one year, but includes the option for four additional years, at approximately $2 million per year.

Under the contract, awarded pursuant to the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, KTS, a Native American firm from Anchorage, Alaska, will perform contract management, planning, supervision, administration and other required activities.

Located just west of Yuma, the desalting plant was built to treat saline agricultural drainage water from the Wellton-Mohawk Valley. The treated water would be used to help meet the United States’ Colorado River water delivery obligation to Mexico. The plant last ran during a 90-day test period in 2007. It has primarily been in “ready-reserve” status since March 1993 because the U.S. has been able to meet its water delivery obligation to Mexico without operating the plant.

The YDP is the largest reverse osmosis plant in the United States. If operated at full capacity, it could desalt more than one million gallons of Colorado River water per day.

Schuff Steel Starts Structural Steel Erection on PCH

Schuff Steel Co. started steel erection on Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s 11-story patient tower, which is part of the hospital’s expansion project.

Schuff is erecting approximately 6,300 tons structural steel for the 765,000 sq-ft facility and plans to complete the steel portion in September. Schuff fabricated all of the steel for the hospital at its four Arizona steel plants located in Phoenix, Gilbert, Eloy and Flagstaff. Kitchell Contractors is the general contractor on the project.

State Transportation Board Approves Economic Recovery Project List

The State Transportation Board took action to approve the preliminary list of more than 100 statewide ready-to-go highway projects eligible to receive federal economic recovery funding.

From here, ADOT staff will continue working with local planning councils around Arizona to finalize agreement before the prioritization process moves forward.

The board was expected to finalize the approval of project prioritization, along with funding, in March.

The funding and prioritization process is focused on collaboration at the local levels with a view to the entire state highway system. Arizona is set to receive an estimated $522 million in recovery funding, $350 million of which will be allocated by ADOT. Currently, the funding allocation distributes approximately $130 million to the Maricopa County region, $46 million to the Pima County region and $175 million to Arizona’s 13 other counties.

Arizona is on a fast track to break ground on these projects. Half of the incoming economic recovery dollars are required to be obligated within 120 days. All funds must be spent and all projects must be complete within three years.

Occupancy Strong at Pima Center

Phoenix-based Opus West Corp. has finalized several new deals at Pima Center that bring the completed buildings to more than 90% leased or sold. The 1-million-sq-ft office campus is located at the Loop 101 Freeway and Via de Ventura in Scottsdale.

Mutual of Omaha has leased 31,000 sq ft in the three-story, 136,000-sq-ft Pima III A, bringing that building to 88% occupied. Mutual of Omaha recently moved in to Pima Center, and is now operating administrative offices and a full-service regional bank branch at the new location.

At the adjacent three-story, 136,000-sq-ft Pima III C building, Opus has completed a lease agreement with Taylor Morrison Homes for 17,000 sq ft. Taylor Morrison opened a design center and administrative offices last month, bringing Pima III C to 82% occupied.

A new two-story, 80,000-sq-ft building was completed in March. One final building is on the drawing board, a four-story, 180,000-sq-ft Pima III B. Groundbreaking is pending lease activity at the completed Opus Pima Center phases. Opus West Construction Corp. is the general contractor.

To submit New Mexico, Arizona or Nevada news items or press releases, email the editor at scott_blair@mcgraw-hill.com.