As with the start of many construction projects, progress is made by taking two steps forward and one step back. The RASM Facilities Task Force is working diligently with the various parties involved to save money and meet specific requirements from the City of Bradenton. RASM’s task force, architects and engineers recently sat down to review cost-cutting decisions on building expenses, known as “value engineering.”
“By putting in the time to find different brands and materials used in the overall design, we ended up saving over $150,000,” said Roger Piro, chair of the Facilities Task Force. “We’re conscientious to build as afford-ably as we can without compromising quality.”
Now that these small tweaks have been approved, the task force can take the finished building plan to the City of Bradenton for approval.
However, prior to any official groundbreaking, the movement of overhead power lines by Florida Power and Light (FPL) must be completed. These very important (and very heavy duty) power lines are an essential source for power in downtown Bradenton and due to the location of the building, they must be placed underground.
FPL estimates three to fourth months to complete this project. And unfortunately, the movement of power-lines cannot be expedited, as FPL will need to outsource employees qualified to complete this type of mechanical work. An official groundbreaking will be scheduled shortly after FPL finishes this project.
Location: 3rd Avenue West, between 9th and 7th street
Architect: Fawley Bryant Architects
Contractor: Halfacre Construction Company
Engineer: King Engineering