City holds ribbon-cutting for new Public Works campus

City Council was joined by City staff, construction partners and community leaders this morning for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate completion of the City’s new Public Works campus. The ribbon-cutting was followed by a ceremonial transfer of the fleet, with a caravan of 30-40 public works vehicles arriving at the new campus. Afterward, Public Works employees guided attendees on tours of the campus facilities.

The City purchased the property at 475 Fairforest Way in 2012 and site preparation began in April 2016. Construction of the facility, which is just under 100,000 square feet, began in December 2016. The $25.6 million project was completed on budget and two months ahead of schedule. The new campus houses the Public Works Department’s solid waste/recycling, streets, stormwater, wastewater, fleet, safety and administrative divisions and serves as home base for more than 200 employees. The 33-acre site also includes room for future growth, including plans to move the department’s remaining divisions (building services, engineering and traffic engineering) to the campus and add a recycling center for the public.

The campus features an emergency operations center, state-of-the-art training and fleet facilities, an automated vehicle wash station and a full-size independent NAPA store. It also includes a number of environmentally-friendly elements, including all LED lights; energy efficient insulated walls and roofs; energy efficient building mechanical systems and appliances; clerestory windows to harvest ambient light; roof runoff collection system to harvest rainwater; bioswales and leading-edge stormwater treatment. The new facility is expected to consume 20% less energy than the Hudson Road facility.

With the relocation of Public Works complete, MKSK, the firm leading the design of the Reedy River Redevelopment Area and City Park planning projects, will develop a scope of work for demolition of the vacant structures on the old campus and the City will issue an RFP. Once demolition has occurred, the site will remain a passive green space until it is incorporated into the new park.