CONSTRUCTION UPDATES

Rio Grande Campus Parking Garage

Photos

11/2/09 Update:
The Bookstore is now open at the Garage!  There are some modifications being made to the Parking Garage primarily to the first floor.  The access control gates are being moved further into the Garage to ease maneuverability and allow for more cars to get into the Garage and off of 12th Street quicker to alleviate some traffic congestion.  A security booth will also be added for the Campus Police.  Several weeks ago, the Garage was re-striped and the students were given a greater amount of parking spaces.  Changes will continue to progress over the next several weeks and the modifications should be complete around the end of the calendar year. 

09/14/09 Update:
The Parking Garage was substantially complete and opened the first day of Fall Semester classes on August 24, 2009.  The wait for available parking has eased up considerably with the opening of the new Parking Garage, however there is still a demand for more parking and ACC encourages the use of mass transit and alternative transportation whenever possible.  SpawGlass is addressing final touches and will be complete soon.  The ACC Bookstore will be relocated across 12th Street into the first floor retail space of the RGC Parking Garage within the coming weeks.  Please drive safely!

08/12/09 Update:
The Parking Garage construction is coming to an end and the Garage will be open for Fall 2009 beginning August 24.  The final touches are being addressed and SpawGlass is getting all of the inspections finished up. 

• The green screen is being installed and miscellaneous steel work is being completed. 
• The fencing along the north property line is in progress.
• The fire department connection is in progress.
• Painting is being completed.
• Lighting is being completed.
• Security cameras will be completely installed this week.
• Windows and doors are nearing completion.
• Parking striping is being completed within the Garage.
• Signage is on-going.
• Street work and re-paving along 12th Street is anticipated to be completed over the weekend including street striping and removal of all barriers.
• Landscaping will be completed next week after the irrigation meter is installed.   The trees along 12th Street were installed this week.
• Elevator and fire alarm inspection are scheduled for this week. 

This project is ON TIME and WITHIN BUDGET!!! 

07/07/09 Update:

• Utility work along 12th Street continues as the water line upgrade is still under way.  All street utility work should be completed by the end of July.
• All concrete work including the stairs is complete.
• The brick masonry work is being completed this week.  The concrete masonry units (CMU blocks) are also finishing up along the east wall at the stairs. 
• The elevators are being installed and are running, although work is still in progress.
• Structural steel is nearing completion.  The barrier cables along the exterior still need to be installed. 
• Stair railings are being installed. 
• The bookstore finishes are well under way, and the storefront glass is being completed. 
• The light fixtures are nearly complete throughout. 
• Site work is beginning, and the covered pedestrian walkway is expected to be removed within a week.  
• The steel canopies are installed along with the wood soffits.  The roofing is under way on the canopies. 
• The steel "ACC star" elements above each driveway are being installed. 

Construction will be complete in time for fall semester. 

6/10/09 Update:

The crane was dismantled the weekend of May 30-31.  Miscellaneous concrete is being completed.  Storefront and glazing work is ongoing as well as sprinkler work and miscellaneous steel work.  The elevator installation began this week.  The water line upgrade along 12th Street is underway.  SpawGlass remains incident/accident-free and the project is still on schedule for completion in August 2009.

 

05/12/09 Update:

Road work will begin this week to upgrade the water utility line along 12th Street from Shoal Creek Blvd. to Rio Grande Street.  Only one lane in the eastbound direction will be affected.  Meanwhile, the majority of the concrete structure has been poured and shoring is being removed.  The CMU and brick and other finishes are being applied.  Some of the building’s character is beginning to show.  The crane is expected to be dismantled the end of May.  The project remains on schedule.

 

03/26/09 Update:

The concrete for the west half of the 5th floor will be poured this week leaving 5 additional concrete pours remaining. SpawGlass remains on schedule to complete construction in August 2009 for the Fall semester. Permitting for the utility work to upgrade the water line along 12th Street to Rio Grande Street and to add the 7th level to the Garage is still in progress. Masonry work is scheduled to begin soon.

11/12/08 Update:

Work on the new Austin Community College Rio Grande Campus Parking Garage has begun. Now it’s time to bring in the big equipment necessary to build the seven-story structure.

This milestone brings us another step closer to providing ACC faculty, staff, and students with more than 540 new parking spaces and a new bookstore by next fall!

Status (Updated 10/31/08): 
The structural piers are currently being drilled. The piers extend below ground to bearing strata that will support the building. Anywhere between one and six piers a day have been drilled at an average of 2.5 piers per day due to soil material, depth of piers, and encountering the water table on every pier. There will be a total of 76 piers for the parking garage and SpawGlass anticipates completion of pier drilling operations by mid-November.

ACC secured a site development permit from the City of Austin today (Oct. 31) and is expecting the building permit within a few weeks. SpawGlass will be erecting a crane onsite on or about November 22. 

The design team is diligently working on designing the 7th level. The Austin Community College District and the City of Austin have reached an agreement to allow an additional floor be added to the parking garage. The parking garage will consist of seven levels and will include a total of 543 parking spaces – 90 spaces more than originally planned. The height limitation applicable to the parking garage under zoning and compatibility standards is seventy-five (75) feet measured from the highest level of the ground to the floor level of the top floor of the garage. Parapet walls, which are wall-like barriers placed at the edge of the top level, and shade structures on the top floor are permitted and will not be taken into account in measuring the height of the parking garage. The seven-level parking garage will measure sixty-three (63) feet high – comparable to a four-story office building. 

The parking garage is expected to open in August 2009 for the fall semester.

Conceptual renderings by Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects for the new parking garage shown below: