Construction on public safety facility lagging
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Recommend ThisBy M.K. Luther -- mkluther@nvdaily.com
FRONT ROYAL -- Construction on the new county public safety building has fallen nearly two months behind schedule, according to building officials.
Warren County's building committee was updated on the progress of the construction project at its March 28 meeting.
Harrisonburg-based Nielsen Builders Inc. is currently working on steel installation and brick walls, according to information submitted to the committee by Moseley Architects.
The new 44,370-square-foot facility is being built across from Skyline High School on Skyline Vista Drive. Construction began in the fall. The completed building is intended to house the Sheriff's Office and provide more space for the Department of Fire and Rescue.
Based on the contractors' original time frame, the project is roughly 54 days behind schedule, according to Deputy County Administrator Robert Childress.
The estimated $10.5 million project is tentatively scheduled for completion by the end of 2011. The county continues to work to establish a vendor for the eventual installation and use of an E-911 communications system at the facility.
The contractor is "confident" that the time can be made up and the project will not suffer significant delay, Childress said.
Construction crews started laying rock on exterior walls this week, and will begin installing slab corridors the week of April 4, Childress said. Crews also took eight soil samples to test for moisture retention.
"That tells us if there is a problem or not," Childress said.
The county has been dealing with foundation and settling issues at the neighboring Skyline High School since its 2007 construction.
"We just really wanted to make the soils have the proper moisture concentration so we don't have the same types of issues," Childress said Tuesday.
Shenandoah District Supervisor Richard H. Traczyk said that completing the project by an exact date was not as imperative if it could affect the outcome of the work.
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Foundation settling issues are to be expected when buildings are erected on ancient slip-sliding alluvial river bottom sediments that retain water like a sponge. When completed, the public safety building will be poised for a downhill slide into the high school's front door, creating some serious finger-pointing. Won't that be fun?