|
Every site has unique characteristics and infrastructure needs. That’s why our clients
rely on BLA’s creative solutions. Whether commercial, residential, institutional or
recreational, BLA routinely assists clients with the full range of planning, engineering,
and environmental services needed to take a site from survey and right-of-way
acquisition to construction oversight. Services include:
- Rezoning & Platting Assistance
- Engineering Feasibility Studies
- Commercial Use Design
- Industrial Site Design
- Residential/Subdivision Site
- Mixed Land Use Development
- Recreational
- Athletic Sport Facilities
- Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Networks
- Landfills
- Educational Facilities
- Governmental Secured Facilities
- Stormwater Management
- Hydraulic Studies
|
- Subdivision Development
- Waterford Park/Waterford Place Subdivision, Waterford Plaza, Vanderburgh County, Indiana
- Client: Joseph Ream Developer
This upscale commercial development featured carefully planned architecture and site development to implement a unique approach to drainage. The owner/developer, unwilling to set aside the necessary real estate for a large common drainage facility, opted to place this requirement on the individual lot owner. BLA performed a site-by-site evaluation of the drainage problems that existed in the area and successfully accomplished the drainage requirements on a lot-by-lot basis, by combining the drainage within clustered lots, in effect, creating dry basins that can be easily maintained and landscaped by adjoining lot owners. By overseeing the placement of the buildings and drainage facilities on each of the lots, the overall concept proved successful.
- Cambridge Golf Community, Vanderburgh County, Indiana
- Client: Dan Buck Development
 This large-scale residential project includes a golf course and adjoining residential development. A series of lakes, integrated within the course and residential areas, was designed to meet stringent drainage requirements, while also serving as an amenity to the golf course. The golf course/residential village afforded many interesting challenges brought about by interplay of residential and recreational factors.
Hospitality- Casino Aztar Hotel, Retail Dining & Entertainment Complex, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Veazey, Parrott, Durkin, & Shoulders, Architects
Prominently featured along the riverfront in downtown Evansville, this project entailed the civil site design of a retail, dining and entertainment complex located on 5+ acres. Located within the project are multiple buildings, parking lots, roads, and infrastructure improvements.
Industrial Sites- Factory Site Design, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Azteca Milling Company
 The project involved the design of all site improvements for a milling plant that produces 150 metric tons of corn masa flour a year for use in tortillas, chips, tamales, and snack products. The project involved a floodway study, hydraulics, storm retention, roads, utilities, rail spur, and other site related items.
- Vanderburgh Industrial Park, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Evansville Industrial Foundation
 This project involved the development of a 227-acre undeveloped site into an industrial park. The Vanderburgh Industrial Park was a cooperative venture between the Evansville Industrial Foundation and Vanderburgh County and was undertaken to respond to the local real estate market’s need for relatively large, fully-developed and ready-to-go industrial sites. The park was designed with “upscale” amenities including street lights, underground utilities, storm sewers, landscaping, and rolled curbs. BLA provided the preliminary engineering site report, boundary and topographical surveys for the entire site, a floodplain study including extensive hydraulic modeling of streams with total lengths of more than a mile, a detailed drainage report, design of interior roadway and infrastructure, and assistance with permitting.
Sports Facilities- Goebel Soccer Complex, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Evansville Department of Parks & Recreation
This 10-field soccer complex was built for tournament play on 60 acres just north of the City of Evansville off of Green River Road. Nine of the ten fields are collegiate size with one field equipped with lighting and synthetic turf. Four of the other fields also feature lighting and irrigated, all-natural grass fields. Potential flooding problems were addressed by elevating the buildings and the walkways that served them, which also provided elevated viewing for spectators. These buildings include a main concession building with restrooms; a shelter for the lighted soccer field with synthetic turf; and a maintenance building. Landscaping for the complex was also designed by the BLA team including over 200 mature trees selected by the city arborist, and curvilinear walks landscaped with a variety of shrubbery and perennial plantings.
- Helfrich Golf Park Drainage & Course Upgrade, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Evansville Department of Parks & Recreation
 Initiated as a municipal drainage project, it was decided that a series of detention ponds could be integrated into a nearby golf course limits as water features. Construction of these lakes created an overabundance of earthwork, which was then integrated into the course as a series of mounds and new tee-boxes.
Plazas & Greenways- Riverfront, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Veazey, Parrott, Durkin, & Shoulders, Architects
 BLA worked in conjunction with an architectural team to provide civil design for this major $10.2 million redevelopment of municipal riverfront park. The plaza restoration was designed to accommodate riverfront events held each summer. The majority of the river’s edge was lined with sheet piling to allow hydroplane boats to launch and featured a staging platform behind the wall to allow the boom cranes a level and safe place to stage their operations. At the west end of the sheet pile wall was a boat ramp for small craft launching. In addition, there were two levels of tiered seating formed into the reconstruction to create an amphitheater for fans of the boat race and other events. Above the plaza was the riverside walkway and bikeway. This area was enhanced with the creation of three overlook areas perched above the amphitheater seating area providing the walkway users and bikers an opportunity to pause and enjoy the riverfront.
The riverfront had significantly deteriorated due to the annual seasonal flooding of the plaza. This reconstruction restabilized the bank by introducing the pile edge. Much of the work described involved a great deal of structural engineering and integral detailing to make all of the components work in harmony. Designing these components with the knowledge that the entire project was subject to annual spring flooding presented many challenging design elements to ensure long-time stability.
- Pigeon Creek Greenway, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Evansville Department of Parks & Recreation
 This project was a component of the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage system of pedestrian-bicycle trails. Largely located on the levee system, this portion of the trail offered safe travel from the downtown area to Garvin Park, Lamasco Park, Golfmoor Ball Fields, as well as the newly developed Skate Park. In addition, this also allowed for connection of the Evansville waterfront area to the other parks in the city.
Section 3C is largely located on the levee system, administered by the Evansville-Vanderburgh Levee Authority District. Floodplain issues, difficult terrain crossings, safety measures related to traffic, and enhancement measures were among the many design features of this project. BLA worked extensively with Pigeon Creek Greenway committee members, other stakeholders, and associated agency representatives throughout the project. An agreement between the Levee Authority and the Parks Department allowed a majority of the proposed route to move forward without property acquisition, although the industrial nature of this section presented some environmental and right-of-way issues.
Trailheads were designated at various locations along the route and varied in size and amenity. Pedestrian elevated platforms suitable for bicycle traffic were used under various roadway bridges. The use of these grade-separated platforms eliminated the safety issue of a roadway crossing and minimized construction in the floodway. A 1,200-foot pedestrian bridge was planned for an extremely steep portion of landscape.
Commercial Sites- Wabash Landing, West Lafayette, Indiana
- Client: City of West Lafayette
 A new downtown, known as Wabash Landing, was constructed in a unique public-private partnership between the City of West Lafayette and a private developer. Several years ago the city purchased a vacant building and land from Sears Roebuck and Company. The city controlled development of the property to ensure that it would be consistent with goals established by the community.
The developer, Herman Renfro, developed the building sites while the city constructed the public way. The city’s portion of the project included all streets, sidewalks, landscaping, street furniture, lighting, and traffic control equipment. BLA assisted the city by conducting traffic planning studies, designing the public way, and overseeing construction for the public facilities. The project used enhancement funding for the trail that winds through the new downtown to connect with other trails in the area.
Streets, lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping were installed and buildings were completed by the developer including a nine-screen theater, seven-story parking garage, and a retail building. The multiuse development also featured retail buildings, restaurants, a 100-unit apartment building, and a hotel.
- Eagle Plaza Commercial Development, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Red Bank Development, LLC
Eagle Plaza is a 66-acre commercial development on the west side of Evansville that attracts national chains, as well as local retail stores, financial institutions, restaurants, and a movie theater.
The rolling terrain resulted in the excavation and placement of over 1 million cubic yards of compacted fill. An earthwork balance situation was designed and achieved. In addition to the challenging site grading design, ±9100 lineal feet of sanitary sewer was designed along with a storm sewer system which included a single large retention basin and ±4,900 lineal feet of storm sewer.
Schools & Universities- Southern Indiana Technical School, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Vanderburgh County School Corporation
BLA completed civil site design and surveying for a new vocational school campus, including site plans, hydraulic design, transportation planning, pedestrian movements, utilities, and related infrastructure. The firm also designed perimeter access road and off-site utility extensions.
- Wayne Henning Field, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Reitz Memorial High School
BLA provided site design for a major upgrade to the school’s athletic facilities including a new football field, latex running track, practice fields, and parking lot. The new fields are all irrigated and have Bermuda Turf, which has proved to be a dramatic improvement for the facility.
Healthcare- Evansville State Hospital, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: State of Indiana
 This project involved the development of a new psychiatric hospital on a large portion of unimproved land within the existing 132-acre Evansville State Hospital grounds. The design of the new facility which included building sites, an internal roadway system, parking facilities, and recreational area, was challenging because of the required coordination with the three additional members of the design team as well as the owner who had very specific needs. The project also proved challenging in that it required the new facilities to function well with the adjacent existing facilities. Another challenge for this project was the funding constraints which required several modifications to the plans in order to meet the needs of the hospital while being financially feasible.
- Orthopaedics Associates Medical Office Building (MOB), Newburgh, Indiana
- Client: Orthopaedics Associates
Orthopaedic Associates (OA) decided it was time for a new facility when their office building and parking lot exceeded capacity. A roughly five-acre site was available directly across the street from the Deaconess Gateway Medical Complex, a prime location for MOB. Before purchasing the lot, however, OA requested BLA perform a feasibility study to see if the lot was suitable. The study discovered an abandoned coal mine on the site, but ultimately determined it would meet OA’s needs. As a result, BLA continued with site design of the project. In the course of the study, it was determined that the roadway dividing the site from the hospital was about to be widened. Since another department at BLA was providing design and construction oversight for the roadway reconstruction, it provided a unique opportunity for the site designers to take advantage of the road already being torn up to construct the sewer extension and coordinate the other utilities. This not only saved the client money, but saved commuters the hassle of delays from a second construction project.
Office- Old National Bank Headquarters, Evansville, Indiana
- Client: Veazey, Parrot, Durkin & Shoulders Architects
 This project involved complete civil design, grading utilities, and retaining wall design associated with the design of a new Old National Bank headquarters located prominently on Evansville’s Downtown Waterfront.
-
|
