Cabela's Opens Boise Store

Officials from Cabela's, general contractor Layton Construction of Sandy, Utah, and architect Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates of Mechanicsburg, Penn., were on hand for the grand opening of Cabela's newest store in August.

Layton was able to transform the 138,000 sq. ft. building from an old Costco warehouse into a stunning Cabela's store/showroom in a little over three months. The project marked the first time Cabela's had attempted to remodel an existing building into a state-of-the-art outdoor store.

Highlights of the building include ten different featured 'stores' within the existing shell, a 132,000 sq. ft. showroom complete with a mountain replica, and native fish species in two 15,000-gallon aquariums. The new store also features world-class trophy mounts, a gun library, an indoor archery range, a laser arcade and a general store.

UDOT Celebrates Opening of SR-201

The Utah Department of Transportation, legislators and elected officials gathered for a ceremony celebrating the completion of the reconstruction of state Route 201.

"Investing in transportation projects will generate long-term economic growth in the state while protecting our quality of life," said Utah Senate President John Valentine. "A strong collaboration of legislators, commissioners, city officials and community members made this project a success."

Construction of the roadway began in May 2004. The construction team of
Ralph L. Wadsworth completed the $64 million project. Additional east and westbound travel lanes have been added and the Redwood Road interchange underwent a full reconstruction.

"SR-201 is one of the heaviest traveled corridors for the trucking industry in the nation," said Steve Goodrich, Community Relations Manger of UPS. "This route is a vital to our business and the local communities."

The area of western Salt Lake and Tooele Counties is the fifth fastest growing area in the state. The reconstruction of S.R. 201 will meet needs of the growing population and serve as a main roadway for many new developments.

"For Utahns, these freeways are lifelines to the community around us," said John Njord, Executive Director of UDOT. "They help us do our work, spend time with our families and enjoy the recreational opportunities of the area."

Major construction aspects of the project included:

WGI Selected for Egypt Projects

Washington Group International of Boise announced recently that it has been selected to provide minor construction, infrastructure repairs, and operations and maintenance work at Egyptian government military bases and installations.

The work is part of an indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Programs Center to Washington Group and its joint-venture partner, Contrack International. This is the third five-year contract awarded to the joint venture servicing the Corps of Engineers' projects in Egypt.

The one-year contract will become effective Oct. 31, 2006. It has four one-year option periods that can be awarded at the government's discretion. Over the potential five-year life of this contract, the government may order up to $100 million in services.

The contract scope includes new facility construction and repair and maintenance of specialty equipment and systems, such as fire alarms, elevators, complex control systems, HVAC systems, frequency converters, and high-pressure hydraulic systems. In addition, Washington Group will supply training and technical expertise.

"We're pleased to be able to continue our work with the Corps and the Egyptian military, providing high-quality engineering and construction services," said Larry Shaw, president of Washington Group's Infrastructure Business Unit.

The Infrastructure Business Unit manages project development, design-build, and operations/maintenance programs for rail-transit, highway and water resource clients around the world.

Escalante Project Earns Gold LEED Rating

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Escalante Visitor & Science Center at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was honored in an awards ceremony presented by the U.S. Green Building Council this summer in Salt Lake City, and at the center in Escalante. The project received a LEED Gold rating score of 42 points, the highest score achieved in the State of Utah to date.

Ascent Construction, Inc. of Centerville, Utah, was the general contractor for the project, which was designed by GSBS Architects of Salt Lake City. The new $3.3 million, 13,200 sq. ft. facility was constructed to incorporate environmentally-sensitive, sustainable features and materials. The project, which was scheduled for a 12-month construction duration, was completed in 10 months and includes daylight controls, skylights, natural ventilation, operable windows, water-saving and reuse technologies to reduce wastewater and low-VOC materials that contribute to a healthy indoor environment.

In its seventh year, Ascent Construction has constructed four LEED-designed projects, two of which have been completed for the BLM - the Escalante VC and the Rock Springs (Wyoming) Field Office Building. The other LEED-design projects are the Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub project and the Davis County Library Northwest Branch in Syracuse, Utah.

Ascent is currently constructing a fifth LEED-designed project, the South Main Health Center, A 27,000 sq. ft., $7 million project due to be completed in March 2007 for Salt Lake Valley Health Department and Salt Lake County.

Big-D Completes Treehouse Museum

Money may not grow on trees but Big-D Construction has planted the next best thing in the city of Ogden. Earlier this month the Salt Lake City-headquartered firm completed construction of the Treehouse Museum in downtown Ogden, and then donated all of the builder's profit back into the project. The 28,900 square-foot museum - which had its grand opening August 19 - represents a first step in the city's efforts to revitalize the downtown Ogden area. The project also reflects Big-D Construction's ongoing efforts to give back to its community.

Beneath a shimmering skylight in the center of the museum is a two-story, interactive tree sculpture with branches that extend up to 28 feet beyond the trunk. Winding its way through the center of the tree is a spiral staircase, which opens-up to reveal a children's activity deck. A second set of steps lead "adventurers" away from the activity deck to another level of exhibits.

Designed by noted architect Varouj Hairabedian, the new museum is as unique as the tree at its heart, with diamond-shaped windows, bough-like bridges and a 150-seat theater for educational family films and fun.

This is the first building to be completed as part of the city's Mall Redevelopment Project, which city leaders and Treehouse personnel have worked to implement since the mall closed in 2001.

Bank Project Underway in Boise

Earthwork, excavating and initial construction efforts have begun at the site of a new six-story office building for the Idaho Independent Bank Building.

Located on Front, 5th, and Broad Streets in downtown Boise's River Street-Myrtle Street Urban Design Plan area, the estimated $5 million, 86,000 square-foot-building was designed by CSHQA architects and engineers with the CSHQA Interiors group completing the interior design.

CSHQA's principal architect Larry Kalousek leads the design team for this project. Martin Hahle, project architect, designed the shell and core that includes a brick facade that is used on all elevations of the exterior.

The energy efficient building will use geothermal water that is readily available to the property. The first floor tenant is a banking institution with drive-through services. Prospective tenants can buy whole floors or quarter portions of individual floors as condominiums, a new concept in the Boise office-space market. This idea may appeal to smaller professional service companies that desire to be in the downtown business area.