Once home to a major steel plant, the 22-acre site has been transformed into a vibrant community space that honors its past while serving present-day needs. The $20.5-million project’s centerpiece is a 16,000-sq-ft recreation center featuring a double gymnasium and flexible multipurpose rooms for games, activities and community programs. Other features include a full-size synthetic turf field with LED lighting and a 10,000-sq-ft nautical-themed playground. Visitors can enjoy scenic walking trails with educational signage as well as an ADA-accessible fishing pier and floating kayak launch. More than half the site remains undeveloped, preserving natural wetlands and providing habitat for local wildlife.

The project includes rooftop photovoltaic panels that supply onsite renewable energy, reducing the building’s carbon footprint and operating costs. A dual-zone water metering system separately tracks potable water and general facility usage, providing data-driven insights that support conservation and performance management. Additionally, the project features a rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation, six electric vehicle charging stations, and high-efficiency HVAC and lighting systems.

Photo by Tom Holdsworth Photography

The site transformation necessitated addressing decades of industrial activity that had left contaminants such as slag, metals and debris. To minimize exposure to hazardous materials, personnel working in open trenches or excavation areas within affected zones were required to wear protective suits. Washing and decontamination stations installed throughout the site allowed workers to clean exposed skin during and after shifts. These efforts enabled the project to record 170,000 work hours with no injuries or recordable incidents. Following the safe removal and offsite repurposing of excavated material, the team installed a new environmental soil cap. Strict procedures were developed for subsequent tasks to mitigate the risk of disturbing underlying soil. With the underlying slag complicating utility installation, the team developed a faster, fully compliant process that preserved quality and safety, keeping the project on schedule and at budget.

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