July 7, 2009
Fort Smith, AR - Two major parking improvement projects designed by Morrison-Shipley, and funded with American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stimulus funding, are now under construction at schools in western Arkansas. The first is a complete re-build of all parking facilities at Southside HS in Fort Smith for the Fort Smith Public Schools. Designed in conjunction with Guest-Reddick Architects, this $1.73 million project replaces all parking lots on the campus and also provides new parking spaces on the east edge of the campus and near the school's new Activity Center. Upon completion, approximately 900 spaces will be located on the campus; an increase of 100 spaces from previous.
The second project consists of parking and traffic alleviation improvements for the Ozark Elementary School in Ozark, Arkansas. Morrison-Shipley, working in collaboration with Hight-Jackson & Associates Architects, prepared construction plans for the $475,000 project consisting of 3 distinct elements: 1) new parking for the Ozark Public Schools Administration Building; 2) a new one-way drop-off & pick-up lane; and 3) new teacher parking sited outside of the drop-off/pick-up zone.
"The primary challenge associated with both of these projects was gathering the owners' input and then completing construction plans in a very short timeframe so as to take advantage of stimulus funding" according to Travis Brisendine, P.E., Morrison-Shipley's Project Manager for both projects. He further stated "I am extremely proud of our design team completing each project in less than four weeks. For both projects, bids received were well below our estimates."
Both projects will be completed in time for the Fall 2009 semester.