Work on the new 200,000-square-foot Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center is at the heart of construction activity that will bring dynamic changes to the appearance, activity and traffic patterns in the Anchorage central business district.

Named in recognition of the Dena'ina Athabascan people who are the indigenous residents of the area that is now Anchorage, the estimated $107.6-million convention center is taking shape near a parking garage project that began construction earlier this year.

Anchorage-based Neeser Construction Inc. started work on the center in April 2006 on a square block that had served as a parking lot to the Atwood Building, the state of Alaska office complex located across the street. Footing and foundation work progressed through last summer on the steel frame building with first floor slab-on-grade design, the collaborative work of Rim Architects of Anchorage and LMN Architects of Seattle. Project engineers include BBFM Engineers Inc. of Anchorage and Seattle-based Magnusson Klemencic Associates.

Structural steel work on the three-story building with two mezzanine levels began with the changing of the seasons that brought one of the coldest winters in years. Approximately 2,800 tons of structural steel is part of the building. Sam Adams, Neeser's project superintendent, cited schedule adjustments as a means to cope with the weather.

"Various schedule adjustments were made to keep the project on track. Earlier start dates were assigned to tasks in areas of completed steel erection," Adams said.

A constrained construction site in a busy downtown location presents another set of challenges for the contractor. Traffic control and parking for crews working on the project were early issues.

"The traffic plan included capturing driving lanes on three sides of the project and completely closing the street on the fourth side," said Adams. Neeser also purchased block parking stalls in a nearby parking garage for crew parking. The workforce will range between 75 and 150 workers, including subs.

To meet scheduling and logistical challenges posed by the tight building site, Neeser made arrangements for use of vacant property less than a mile from the project as an off-site lay-down yard.

"Routine focus is given to the arrival date and placement of materials for ease of inventorying, access and forwarding to the main site," Adams said.

An unexpected challenge came about because of the project's high profile and visibility. Nestled between two high-rise office towers on the east and west, and located just south of the eight-floor Anchorage City Hall, the project is under constant scrutiny by both upper story and sidewalk superintendents. The abundant public attention also fosters significant media interest.

"Interestingly," said Adams, "the most unforeseen surprise is dealing with the magnitude of 'local visibility' and the 'politically connected' nature of the project. The frequency of news articles and the number of tours was somewhat unexpected," he added.

All of the attention has required that Neeser add a new skill set to the project.

"At the site project office we've had to add, dedicate and share responsibilities for dealing with the public relations issues," said Adams.

With the structural steel work all but complete early in the 2007 construction season, attention has turned to other elements of the project. Those building elements will include an exterior curtain wall, precast concrete panels and a pre-insulated metal wall panel system. The roofing system will consist of a single-ply membrane over insulation and a metal deck.

Much of the work is at elevation, requiring a fleet of scissor and boom lifts. Between Neeser and the subcontractors working on the project, there are 15 scissor lifts, 10 boom lifts and three fork lifts working in and around the structure. The largest and most noticeable of the boom lifts is a new Genie Z135/70 that Neeser pressed into service for this project.

Six cranes have worked the site including Neeser's 50-ton Grove RT 600E and the 165-ton American 8460. Subcontractor Independent Steel Erectors brought a 50-ton Grove RT 855B and a Manitowoc 3900T Vicon rated at 125 tons to the project. At the peak of steel erection, the subcontractor had two other cranes on-site.

When completed by September 2008, the new convention center will add a 25,000-square-foot ballroom, a 50,000-square-foot exhibit space, 12,000 square feet for meeting rooms, and various configurations for trade shows, banquet seating and theater space to the Anchorage mix. That mix, within a two-block area in what is being called the Anchorage Civic and Convention District, includes the existing Egan Civic & Convention Center at 45,000 square feet and the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts with three theaters inside of its 176,000 square feet.

The new Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center will be the dynamic centerpiece and anchor for the district.