Northwest Report

Big-dollar projects foretell prosperous future for Shreveport

By Martin Schwartz

The northwest region continues to grow thanks to diversification in the economy and a stronger self-image that is attracting large corporations.

Mike Gibson, executive director of Associated General Contractors, said new projects for the Shreveport/Bossier area in particular have reached record levels.

"I've never seen this level since I came here (1996)," Gibson added. "The volume is not quite where it was five or six years ago, but the number of projects is extremely promising, both in the private and public sector.

Projects that Gibson expects to impact the area include:

• $60 million to $70 million of renovation, housing and runway work at Barksdale Air Force Base.
• $50 million in renovation and infrastructure work at Fort Polk.
• $100 million for new schools in the Bossier City school district.
• $75 million in new construction and air-conditioning rework in the Caddo Parish school district.
• Additional retail development on Shreveport's Youree Drive (LA 1) corridor.
• Expansion of the GM plant in >> Shreveport to accommodate the Hummer H3.

advertisement

A $52 million hotel project at the Shreveport Convention Center was delayed when two bids on the project came back too high. The city is now considering whether to value engineer the project or throw the bids out, redesign and rebid.

Another major project Gibson said is forthcoming is a joint announcement from the Shreveport/Bossier Port Authority and the City of Shreveport on a $300 million steel mill. The project will bring 2,500 new jobs to the area, Gibson said.

The completion of Interstate 49 north of Shreveport near the Arkansas border would also mean big things to the area.

"We're looking at $360 million of work over the next three years," Gibson said. "That's going to be a big shot of economic stimulus for northwest Louisiana and Louisiana as a whole."

Project snapshots

Aviation maintenance hangar, Fort Polk, Leesville. A 65,000-sq.-ft. aviation maintenance hangar under construction by Walton Construction of Shreveport will serve as a hangar bay and administration area, said Brad Roberts, Walton's project manager.

The building is structural steel on a concrete foundation with insulated metal wall panels designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There was a substantial amount of site prep work to be done when Walton broke ground in October.

"The building and one of our larger parking lots are basically being built in a swamp," Roberts said. "The majority of the site had to be brought up 20 ft."

Bad weather has also hampered the construction.

"The sitework guys have basically been working whenever the sun is shining," Roberts added.

In June, work was scheduled to begin on driving concrete pilings that will be capped with a 7-in. slab-on-grade foundation. An additional helicopter apron will be constructed of 11-in., nonreinforced airfield paving.

Construction will be completed by May.

Fort Polk mission support training facility, Leesville. Dallas-based Azteca Enterprises Inc. is building the first of several buildings for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the south side of Fort Polk in Leesville.

The 53,000-sq.-ft. Training Age Support Center was supposed to be completed by April, but Azteca project manager Mike Ebert said bad weather pushed the completion date to June.

The $22.1 million project consists of a poured-in-place concrete foundation, concrete measured unit walls, steel framing and an exterior insulation finishing system over 2 in. of wall insulation.

Upon completion of this project, Azteca will begin work on a 78,000-sq.-ft. Mission Support Training Facility.

The buildings and roadwork comprise the largest single project Azteca has ever worked on in Louisiana.

Azteca was also awarded another Fort Polk project - the $8.4 million Alert Holding Area at the base's railhead area. >> The project consists of two 80- by 100-ft. buildings; truck loading ramps; extensive exterior work; and road paving, water and sewer work.

Construction is expected to begin this fall.

Bossier Parish Courthouse, Benton. Construction of the $23 million Bossier Parish Courthouse began in 2003 and is expected to be performed in phases through 2006. Phase A consists of a five-story addition that will nearly double the size of the 103,968-sq.-ft. building.

"Right now we have a roof on and we anticipate we'll start putting in fascias by midsummer," said Mike Turner, project manager.

Phase A of the project is scheduled for completion in mid-September. The company will immediately begin Phase B of the project that will include renovation of the old building.

Turner said the original projection of $20.5 million went up a little due to a change order, but besides "our share of weather problems," there have been few difficulties in the job.

Expansion was necessitated by the growth of Bossier Parish's population. When the original courthouse opened in 1972, the parish had about 64,500 residents. The parish's official 2000 census count was 98,310.

Natchitoches Events Center, Natchitoches. Work is nearly complete on the $6.6 million Natchitoches Events Center, said Ronald D. Smith, president of RDS Construction of Natchitoches.

When completed, the approximately 55,000-sq.-ft. facility will be able to host events for about 1,500 people. It includes a large exhibit hall, meeting rooms, concession facility and administrative offices.

Two huge doors will allow for parade floats to come in the front of the building and down a ramp to the back of the concrete and brick structure, Smith said.

"We should have been winding it up right about now, but we had to revise our schedule three times," he added. Weather, steel prices and a change in the door sizing were all factors in the project's completion time.

Smith expects the building to be completed by the end of September.

Louisiana Boardwalk, Bossier City. It was a race against the clock to get the Louisiana Boardwalk open for its May deadline, but developers and builders made it, and the area was dedicated in May. The 50-acre entertainment and shopping district has been estimated at between $170 million and $190 million and takes up 550,000 sq. ft.

The trolley and carousel had not been delivered by the dedication, but several outlet retail stores, restaurants and entertainment establishments were open for business, including the Regal 14 Theaters. The theaters, 11 of the retail buildings and the site utility package were built by Gary C. Wyatt Inc. ofBirmingham, Ala.

"There were actually two site packages, one for the city and one for the developers," said Gary Countryman, project manager. "We did the developers."

The 72,000-sq.-ft. theater is an exterior masonry structure with interior steel frame. Construction began in January 2004, with retail spaces breaking ground two months later.

Countryman said the contractors worked late hours to meet their deadline.

"There's still some unfinished work that needs to be done and there have been numerous tenant changes that have been requested that we'll complete prior to leaving here," he said. "We'll be here for some time yet."

The Regal Theater was designed by Stotser & Associates of Columbus, Ga. Enter-Arc of Los Angeles was the architect for the retail stores.

Wyatt's total projects were estimated at $35 million.

BioSpace 1, Shreveport. The $8 million BioSpace 1 project in Shreveport sounds a little like something out of a science fiction film.

"It's a wet lab incubator for biomedical research," said Harry McInnis, project manager for McInnis Bros. Construction of Minden.

The building consists of a two-story, steel-frame structure with two triangular pods at either end. A central transitional section connects the two pods.

McInnis said most of the mechanical equipment for the building is located in the west pod. The exterior of the building is brick veneer with metal panels and an aluminum and glass curtain wall.

"The owners hope to attract businesses that are engaged in biomedical research," McInnis said. "They have several tenants already."

Work on the project began in May 2004 and McInnis said he expects to have the project complete by the end of August.

Useful Source:

For more information about the Louisiana Boardwalk, go to: http://www.louisianaboardwalk.com/