Best Sports/Entertainment: Builders Overcome College Football Hall of Fame's Tight Site
PHOTOS: ASHTON STANISZEWSKI
PHOTOS: ASHTON STANISZEWSKI
PHOTOS: ASHTON STANISZEWSKI
Contractors leading construction of the 94,000-sq-ft, three-story College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-Fil-A Fan Experience had to overcome an extremely tight site in downtown Atlanta bordered by Marietta Street, railroad tracks, the Omni Hotel and Baker Street.
At the beginning of the project, Foundry Street, which ran through the middle of the site, had to be permanently shut down but not before a new street could be opened. The new street—an extension of Baker Street—was installed as a permanent road for commuters to access the nearby CNN Center, the Georgia World Congress Center, the Georgia Dome and Phillips Arena. To remain on schedule, the construction team had only 83 days in the schedule to shut down Foundry Street and open the Baker Street extension. The team achieved the 83-day goal despite unforeseen obstructions on the site and record rainfall.
While excavating the site, the team uncovered a Civil War cannonball that was considered a government-owned munition. Builders notified proper authorities for its retrieval and disposal, which shut down the jobsite temporarily.
Once crews completed the Baker Street extension, they turned their attention to constructing four levels of the new parking deck that would span over Baker Street. Work on the parking deck could not interfere with the flow of commuter traffic. Construction activities often had to be coordinated with CSX Rail, including tower crane erection and disassembly.
Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie achieved 96% local participation and 39% MBE, exceeding the owner’s goal.
Despite its challenges, the project was completed 24 days ahead of schedule with zero lost-time injuries. Early turnover allowed the owner time to conduct soft opening activities and have the building 100% ready for the public on the first day of business.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME AND CHICK-FIL-A FAN EXPERIENCE
Atlanta
KEY PLAYERS
OWNER Atlanta Hall Management
LEAD DESIGN FIRM TVS Design
CONTRACTOR Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Sykes Consulting
MEP ENGINEER Syska Hennessy
