Mesa Breaks Ground on First New Fire Station Since 2003

Fire Station 218 is being built by D.L. Withers and was designed by Perlman Architects.

City of Mesa Builds First New Fire Station in Years

The City of Mesa kicked off the construction of Fire Station 218 in west Mesa. The first fire station built in the city since 2003, the voter-approved bond project is expected to be completed in March.

“This is the first of at least three new fire stations that will be built in our city during the next few years,” says Mesa Mayor Scott Smith. Perlman Architects of Arizona designed the station to be energy efficient and cost effective. D.L. Withers Construction began construction with the demolition of an existing residential home on the three-acre site. The 12,000-sq-ft, single-story building consists of three bays, six regular dorm rooms, two captains’ dorm rooms and a community/training room.

Model Railroads Get Exhibit Space

Holly Street Studio Architects has designed a new exhibit building for the popular McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, slated for construction this winter. The New Model Railroad Exhibit Building is part of a campus of historic depots and railroading experiences within an 27-acre public park used for recreation, historic preservation, railroad car rides and interactive learning experiences. It will house model railroads and artifacts for public view. After an extensive master-planning process, the architect designed the building to nestle alongside railroad tracks, cars, depots and water towers. The design creates a long and low “railroad shed” while clerestory lights along the top edges of the walls allow the roof to float above, with protective masonry walls along the edges and an open entrance gallery. The anticipated LEED gold building sits on a wooden plinth, arrived at from the park entrance along a sloping plane. The floor height varies around the models to allow various vantage points and open interaction with the model railroaders, creating an interactive experience for visitors.

City council approval is expected shortly. A general contractor has not been selected.

Rowland Cos. Builds Charter School

Rowland Cos. began construction on a new 33,000-sq-ft., single-story, wood-frame and EIFS Legacy Charter School in Mesa.

The Legacy Charter School is located at 718 E. University Dr. in Mesa. (Rendering courtesy Rowland Cos./Larson Associates)

The building is located on a 4.5-acre site and will include 22 classrooms, a multi-purpose room, kitchen, administrative offices and a music room. Also included in the scope of work is an outdoor basketball court and covered recreational area. The fast-track project is to be completed in time to open its doors for the 2009 fall school session. The architect is Larson Associates and the developer is Charter School Fund of Eagle, Idaho.

Third Set of Contracts awarded for Recovery Act Projects

The State Transportation Board approved contracts for nine more American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects. Most of the bids for these nine projects were well under estimates by the Arizona Department of Transportation, producing a cost savings totaling $2.7 million. There are now 24 stimulus-funded projects under contract statewide. Five already have begun construction.

The largest of the new contracts include the $11.23-million widening and improvements to I-17, S.R. 74 to Anthem Way and Anthem Way to New River Road for Markham Contracting Co. Inc.; pavement preservation on I-10, Rita Road to Houghton Road, $2.4 million for Granite Construction Co.; and the $4.5-millionU.S. 60, Miami city limits to McMillan Wash for Meadow Valley Contractors Inc.

SmithGroup to Design Avondale’s First Sports Center

SmithGroup has been selected by the City of Avondale to provide architectural and engineering services for the new AmericanSports Center – Avondale. The $10-million, 83,000-sq-ft building will include volleyball and basketball courts, indoor soccer, multipurpose rooms, food service, flex-program space, office and meeting space, serving both residents and visitors to the region.

An additional 30,000 sq ft of retail is envisioned on several sides of the main building to provide the public additional services related to the sports center and to help screen the mass of the gymnasium.

Show Low Starts New City Hall

[merz]project architecture + interiors + urban design and contractor CORE Construction broke ground on a new city center project in Show Low, consisting of 18,000 sq ft of new construction to house a library, City Council chambers and a television studio. Show Low has experienced an increase in residents in recent years and it was decided that a new city center would be crucial in transforming Show Low into a pedestrian-oriented city and centralizing city growth.

The library serves to create a community hall where residents can learn of Show Low’s history and tradition. Located across from the new library building is City Hall, which used to be the old library location.

Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant Opens

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency completed the newly-upgraded Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant, located in Rio Rico, near the border with Mexico.

Workers assemble piping at the $66-million Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant in Rio Rico. (Photo courtesy U.S. EPA)

The facility, upgraded at a cost of $66 million, is now capable of meeting all required permit limits for the 15 million gallons per day of wastewater it discharges to the Santa Cruz River.

The facility, which is co-owned by the City of Nogales and the International Boundary and Water Commission, has been using an aerated lagoon system since 1991 to treat the sewage from the more than 200,000 residents of Nogales, Ariz., and Nogales Sonora. The lagoon technology was not capable of eliminating toxic ammonia compounds or meeting state permit limits for suspended solids. The facility’s discharge was affecting the Santa Cruz River, home to the endangered Gila topminnow.

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