Industrial roots and resulting brownfield conditions left this site vacant for decades. Additionally, the boundaries consisted of a major railway on the northeast and Third Creek on the remaining three sides of the property, making access a challenge. The 100-year flood elevation of the adjoining creek impacted portions of the site, which limited the overall buildable space. Proximity to the market and the trend toward re-urbanization made our customers willing to take on the challenge.
Storm and ground water management during construction was of major concern, given the location of Third Creek surrounding the site. Three water quality units were built, and during construction, any ground water encountered from the 435 caissons we drilled was pumped into frack tanks and removed from the site. The existing concrete foundations and slabs from the manufacturing buildings were left in place and re-poured in the areas where we had to penetrate the existing slabs. A vapor intrusion system was then installed under the new structures to ensure protection from existing brownfield conditions.
At certain parts of the site, the useable area was stabilized with retaining walls and concrete structures supported by aggregate piers to allow new structures to be elevated above the parking structures. The existing spoils and excavations were monitored and tested for contaminants according to guidelines established for developing this brownfield site, and any contaminated materials were removed offsite or encapsulated onsite.
