Tacoma's landfill remodel earns construction project award

The Northwest Construction Consumer Council (NWCCC) honored Tacoma Solid Waste Management with the 2012 Best Public Project Under $10 Million award for its administration and fleet maintenance building remodel project.

Located at the Tacoma Landfill, the project upgraded the aging and undersized facilities for $6.8 million in construction costs. Accommodating approximately 180 employees, the adjoining buildings, totaling 24,500 square feet, are nearly double the old size. They include increased office, meeting and storage space and up-to-date phone and network equipment. The fleet maintenance building was upgraded with a new fluid distribution system, two additional vehicle bays (totaling 10 bays), new lighting and a new roof.

“We were bursting at the seams in our old building,” said Environmental Services Interim Director Mike Slevin. “In addition to increasing the size, we modernized the facilities making them safer, healthier and more operationally efficient. This facility, along with our new Recovery & Transfer Center, is designed to serve our customers for the next 30 years.”

Designed to earn the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver rating, the administration and fleet maintenance buildings feature many environmentally-friendly elements, including the use of daylighting and lighting controls, captured rainwater, solar hydronic pre-heating, low-VOC emitting materials and the recycling of 93 percent of construction waste.

Design project partners are KPG (architect, civil, landscape), KPFF (structural), LNS (mechanical/plumbing), Interface (electrical) and Bill Acker (cost estimator). Construction project partners are Howard S. Wright Constructors (general contractor), Crescent (mechanical), Holmes (electrical), City of Tacoma (construction management) and EEI (commissioning agent).

The Northwest Construction Consumer Council offers public and private owners, as well as architects, engineers and contractors, opportunities to share in the expertise, information and best practices of industry leaders in capital project delivery in the Pacific Northwest and around the world. Learn more at nwccc.org.

A division of the City of Tacoma Environmental Services Department, Solid Waste Management provides garbage and recycling services for single-family residential homes, multifamily units and commercial businesses. The utility also operates a full-service landfill/transfer center, recycling center and household hazardous waste facility as well as a popular residential bulk item disposal service, Call-2-Haul. Learn more at TacomaRecycles.org.

City of Tacoma landfill. (PHOTO COURTESY CHG BUILDING SYSTEMS)