Last Friday, January 31, 2020, Garco Construction was awarded four HUB Build Northwest Awards at the Inland Northwest AGC Annual Convention luncheon at the Davenport Grand Hotel in Spokane, Washington. These awards honor Inland Northwest AGC members who build the region’s most impressive construction projects in a variety of sectors and project sizes. They are judged by a panel of project-neutral peers. Winners were selected based on the following criteria: difficulty in construction resulting from design, location, materials, etc.; unusual construction techniques involved, final appearance and quality of the finished product; timeliness of completion and company’s safety performance on the project.
AWARD: Building $10 Million and Over – Renovation
Franklin Elementary
Owner: Spokane Public Schools
Architect/Engineers: ALSC Architects, Coffman Engineers, DCI Engineers, L&S Engineering
Major Subcontractors & Suppliers: Agee Electric, C&S Glass, Century Coatings, Clearwater Summit Group, Design Wallcovering, Division 7 Metal Works, Dupree Specialties, Fire Control Sprinklers, Five Star Concrete, Floormart, Great Floors, Harris Rebar, Icon Corporation, Inland Asphalt, LAC Drywall, Northern Hardwood, On The Level Solutions, Pacific Cabinets, Pioneer Waterproofing, Pro Mechanical Services, Rob’s Demolition, Spilker Masonry, Summit Environmental, Three V Plumbing, Zetin Contractors
Summary: Franklin Elementary is a unique and historically significant building; the project consisted of the renovation of the original 1909 building, abatement and demolition of 1950’s additions, and construction of a new 46,000 SF addition. It also included upgraded playgrounds, landscaping, improved traffic flow and expanded parking.
Franklin is one of the district’s oldest buildings, tens of thousands of students have cycled through its classrooms and it has served as a staple of the community. It is now on both the Spokane Register of Historic Places and National Register of Historic Places. The halls of Franklin Elementary hold more than a century of stories. It was essential to capture the significance of this building to the community and create the same energy and importance for the renovated space and the new addition. See project photos here.
AWARD: Highway & Transportation
University District Gateway Bridge
Owner: City of Spokane
Architect/Engineers: LMN Architects, SPVV Landscape, KPFF
Major Subcontractors & Suppliers: L&L Cargile, Power City Electric, Harris Rebar, Clearwater Summit Group, Western States Steel, S&S Coatings
Summary: This is a visionary project featuring visual elegance and promoting revitalization and connectivity. The design provides a stunning effect capturing the gateway from north to south Spokane. This bike and pedestrian bridge provides healthy, inexpensive alternatives to increased traffic congestion for those living, working, studying and playing in the University District and the emerging South University neighborhood.
The infrastructure investment was designed to spur revitalization and economic development in the area. It is timeless in its current and future utilization. The Gateway Bridge will likely be remembered by most for its elegant futuristic design that symbolizes not only the joining of two areas of the community, but also the integration and modernization of our community. See project photos here.
120 FEET the height of the Arch | 312 TONS total rated weight for the bridge | 3,688 FEET of tension cable used for the bridge | 48,000 MAN-HOURS total to complete the bridge
AWARD: Heavy & Utilities
Lower Granite Dam Juvenile Fish Facility Phase 1A
Owner: USACE Walla Walla District
Architect/Engineers: Jon Reynolds/Corps
Major Subcontractors & Suppliers: M&L Construction, McClintock & Turk Inc., Mike’s Mechanical Service, S & S Coatings,
GPI Corporation, Talisman
Summary: Lower Granite Dam is the furthest upstream of the four lower Snake River dams, and the furthest upstream dam with fish passage capability in the Snake River system. A large anadromous fish population consisting of steelhead trout and three species of salmon resides within this riverine system, providing significant ecological, recreational, and financial benefits. The Lower Granite Dam Juvenile Fish Facility Phase 1A project replaced the entire downstream juvenile fish passage system, converting it from the original pressurized pipe system to an elevated open channel flume system.
Features of the new passage:
- More than 1,700 feet of elevated structural steel flume, carried by a combination of steel trusses, plate girders, and steel piping supported on steel and concrete columns atop drilled shaft
- Two dewatering structures to concentrate the fish
- Three-level loop structure that lowers the fish gradually to improve their survival
See more project info here.
AWARD: Special Projects
Howard Street Promenade & U.S. Pavilion (Riverfront Park)
Owner: City of Spokane
Architect/Engineers: NAC Architecture/Berger Partners, DCI Engineers/MW Consulting Engineers
Major Subcontractors & Suppliers: Power City, Mackin & Little, Apollo Mechanical, Cameron-Reilly Concrete, Land Expressions, Clearwater Summit Group Inc., Inland Asphalt, Central Premix, Modern Drywall, Guildworks, Icon Roofing, Spilker Masonry, Spilker Precast
Summary: Originally built as the U.S. Federal Pavilion for Expo ’74, the Pavilion was a gift to the Spokane region. After years of neglect and funding shortages, Spokane citizens approved a $64M bond and one the last remaining relics of Expo ’74 became the obvious choice for the project. The project restored the Pavilion into a flexible-use event space with the capacity to host exclusive events from the Hoopfest Nike Center Court championship games and the Bloomsday Awards Ceremony to a summer concert series and Pig Out in the Park.
Highlights include the elevated experience, constructed of 35-foot site cast concrete columns, and gathering spaces which offer sweeping views of the Spokane River and Spokane skyline. The U.S. Pavilion also includes 476 LED light blades secured to the iconic cable structure which can be programmed and synchronized to music providing a unique event experience. Additionally, the project includes 20,000 SF of fully remodeled, in-door, flexible event space including: a new kitchen, elevator, meeting spaces, performer green rooms and public restrooms. The second level of the U.S. Pavilion includes 3,600 SF of administrative office space for the Riverfront Park staff. See project photos here.
Congratulations to all our project teams and crews for their hard work on these incredible projects. Here’s to building excellence!
