Deep foundation work nearly complete at Civic Arts Center

By Matthew Stewart
of The Daily Times Staff

Deep foundation work is almost complete on Maryville College's Civic Arts Center.

Increasingly demanding physical labor will continue from this point on until the building is completed in 2010.

Construction of the center has been a process involving input from stakeholders, officials, architects and engineers.

Barry Brooke is the executive vice president of commercial development for property development and management firm Lawler-Wood, which is acting as the owner's representative for the construction of the center. He has been working on the project for three years.

"I am just one of many people involved in this project," said Brooke. Messer Construction Co. is building the center and McCarty Holsaple McCarty is the architect.

Sometimes people do not realize how many people are involved in a project of this size, he said.

Lighting design, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, environmental and theater consulting engineers have been involved in the process. Landscape architects and interior designers are also involved.

An average of 30 workers are currently working at the site. By the time the building is erected, somewhere between 100 and 150 workers will be working on the building.

"I rely heavily on (everyone's) expertise," said Brooke.

Air noise tunnel

Only 39 of 588 steel H-beams remain to be hammered into the bedrock. Concrete will be poured on the heads of these beams to form a pile cap, which will be the anchor for the structural steel.

Since Maryville College officials wanted a great performing space, workers are also constructing an air noise tunnel to keep the performance hall at a comfortable temperature and eliminate noise problems.

The project is currently tracking on schedule, said Brooke. Structural steel will be the next key item for the project and workers will erect the structure in November, he said.

The contractors are almost ready to present a mock-up of the brick and mortar selection to stakeholders for approval, he said.

Maryville College's Civic Arts Center is the result of a formal partnership with the cities of Maryville and Alcoa in 2006 to construct a major performing arts facility.

The Civic Arts Center will include a 1,200-seat performance hall, a 250-seat recital hall, a 200-seat flexible theatre, a grand lobby offering a 250-capacity dining area, three gallery/exhibit spaces and an outdoor arts plaza that can be used for special events.