Category: Projects

Key Takeaways:

• The massive art project resembles ancient ceremonial construction.
• Work on “The City” began in the 1970s and only recently finished.
• Tickets to view the project in person can be had for $150 if the weather is good and a spot can be reserved. 

The Whole Story:

After spending decades and millions of dollars, construction on an expansive art sculpture called “The City” has been unveiled in the Nevada desert. 

Artist Michael Heizer’s creation is a mile and a half long and a half mile wide complex of shaped mounds and depressions made of compacted dirt, rock, and concrete. 

“The City is intentionally reminiscent of many ancient ceremonial constructions through its complexity and size, but its form is suggestive of the central hub or nucleus of a modern city,” said the Triple Aught Foundation, a non-profit that owns and operates the sculpture.

Decades in the making

The City has been developed and built by the artist since 1970 until today. It sits in an isolated valley within the high desert of the Great Basin that has been the grazing land for cattle and sheep for at least a century. 

According to the foundation, the Heizer family has inhabited Nevada since the 1800s, and the project’s location was partly chosen by the artist because of its remoteness. 

“Almost all elements within the City are made from basic materials—clay, sand, and rock—collected with minimally invasive means, so that the native plants and wildlife may remain undisturbed,” said the foundation. 

In June of 2015, the project’s location and the area surrounding it, 704,000 acres in total, were proclaimed the Basin and Range National Monument to safeguard the area’s unique environment for the enjoyment of future generations.

Team effort 

Work on the City has been aided over the last fifty years by organizational and financial support from institutions around the country, including the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas; Dia Art Foundation, New York; Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland; Lannan Foundation, New Mexico; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Many private individuals have also contributed their money and time. 

Trip to the ‘City’

The public can go see the project, but it’s going to cost you and a reservation will have to be made. Starting this fall, visitors can do short day trips for a maximum of six visitors, with prior reservations only, and only in favorable weather. The foundation noted that the project is on private property in rural terrain, and it has no habitable structures. 

“Visiting without a pre-arranged visit is thus potentially dangerous, and it is strictly prohibited and is trespassing,” foundation officials said. 

Reservations for future visits may be requested by writing to info@tripleaughtfoundation.org. Visitors will be accommodated on a first come, first serve basis, and visitations will end for the 2022 season on November 1. The price of a visit is $150 per adult, $100 for students, and is free for residents of some Nevada counties. 

“What we are announcing today is more than an investment in brick and mortar. It’s an investment in the future of a community that is coming together around its past and will benefit the entire community,” said Pablo Rodriguez, minister of Canadian heritage. “The Kebaowek First Nation Cultural Centre plays a key role in ensuring that the Algonquin language, cultural traditions and practices are passed on to the youth of the community. These intergenerational connections give youth a stronger sense of identity and prepare them for success in adult life.”

Chief Lance Haymond stated that the Kebaowek First Nation was very encouraged to see a promise of federal funding to address critical infrastructure gaps in the community. 

“On behalf of the council and the citizens of Kebaowek we are extremely pleased to hear that the Government of Canada has now made a multi-million dollar commitment to advance the needs and interests of our families and community,” said Haymond. “The Green and Inclusive Building program will help to give the citizens and community an opportunity to build a solid base from which to continue the vital work needed to reinvigorate and revitalize our language, cultural practices, teachings and ceremonies.”

Chief Haymond noted that the first nation was especially encouraged that the building will be carbon neutral which he says aligns with their social responsibilities. 

The building will create a place for the First Nation to teach their history, develop their language skills and cultural understanding, celebrate their culture and offer recreational, extra-curricular and employment-related activities to the young people in the community.

Officials added That the facility will also benefit members from neighbouring communities, visiting school groups and the public at large. Its proximity to the pier and the public dock will make the centre a key component of the surrounding tourist attractions and will be an important economic engine for the region, they said.

Key Takeaways:

• Social procurement and sustainable development were major parts of Chandos’ approach to a new fire hall in Lloydminster, Alta.
• The project also had to address supply chain issues and a contractor’s cash flow problems.
• Despite these challenges, the project was completed without significant delays.

The Whole Story:

Chandos, the project’s builder, explained in a web post that its team drew on social procurement and sustainable development during the build process so the community could benefit.

Roughly 90 per cent of the building’s materials were bought locally, including lumber, insulation, membrane, masonry and concrete. The team also focused on drawing from the nearby labour pool, hiring five subtrades locally.

“The team worked with various agencies to provide opportunities to at-risk individuals,” said Chandos project manager Michael Lewis. “We also collaborated with the local construction association to ensure local vendors were included as much as possible.”

The team also worked to divert nearly 65 per cent of waste from the project.

The project was not immune to supply chain issues that have been plaguing the sector.  When procuring the structural steel and precast portions of the build, Chandos was informed that the roof joists that would be required had a lead time of more than 20 weeks. The wait would have delayed final turnover on the project by nine months.

“To mitigate this issue, we went back to the bidders and had them make suggestions,” wrote the builder. “We were able to have the building redesigned structurally by our steel contractor using materials that were available, and then we were able to have the structural steel and precast contracted to be onsite by a specific date.”

While the move secured the schedule, it came at a premium of $250,000. Despite the cost, Chandos said that the reasoning behind it was thoroughly discussed and easily approved by the client.

The project also experienced delays for the main air handling unit, which the mechanical contractor said would be arriving much later than expected. Crews would need to wait to complete the structure and roofing in that section of the build. 

“This would have delayed all of the work in the main mechanical area and would have created a domino effect on other contractors,” wrote Chandos. 

The team worked with the mechanical contractor and the site superintendent to devise a plan. Crews left a wall section unbuilt so that the equipment could be loaded into the building after the main structure was in place. This allowed for all of the additional work to be completed in that specific area. And, when the air handling equipment arrived, it was installed and the wall sections were closed up. 

The project also had to mitigate cash flow issues. The team discovered the project’s drywall contractor was having difficulties and a lien was placed on the project by a rental company due to some unpaid bills. 

Chandos assisted by clearing some of the debts the contractor had. The company also had the lien cleared all while keeping the client in the loop throughout. With the issue resolved, it caused no delays. 

Key Takeaways:

• CN Rail and Keyera are jointly exploring a new Alberta rail terminal.
• It would be built in Alberta’s first designated industrial zone and carry conventional and clean energy products. 
• The companies believe it could handle six inbound and outbound trains each day. 

The Whole Story:

Keyera Corp. and CN Rail announced that they have signed a deal to leverage their joint expertise to evaluate the creation of a specialized energy terminal near Edmonton. The new infrastructure would aggregate conventional and clean energy from multiple sources to support the transportation of energy products.

“This project capitalizes on a core CN strength: sustainably moving Canadian natural resources safely and efficiently to domestic and international markets,” explained Tracy Robinson, CN’s president and CEO. “We are pleased to be working with Keyera on this project which will benefit Alberta and the Canadian economy. The project will offer a unique opportunity to aggregate products from multiple producers and will provide an efficient mechanism to not only support Canadian industry but also further global energy transition.”

Officials at CN and Keyera stated that the facility would be an efficient solution for industrial players to connect and transport a range of specialized low-cost sustainable energy products to key markets domestically and globally.

The facility would be built on adjoining lands belonging to Keyera and CN. The companies noted that the benefits of this strategic location include opportunities for product aggregation through close proximity to large industrial operators, existing infrastructure to support the terminal and its customers including carbon sequestration, and direct access to the CN rail network. The companies added that the anticipate the facility would be capable of handling six inbound and outbound high-capacity trains daily.

“This agreement builds on the strengths of each partner and allows for the most efficient solutions for the industry to achieve both the needs of today’s market and the future of clean energy,” said Dean Setoguchi, Keyera’s CEO. “Together, Keyera and CN demonstrate how collaboration is key to creating sustainable solutions, meeting the evolving needs of our customers, and transporting high value products locally and abroad while supporting Canada’s path to net-zero.”

Key Takeaways:

• Calgary is asking for ideas to redesign 8 Street SW.
• The corridor was hollowed out over the years by high office vacancies.
• Officials want the redesigned corridor to connect people, parks and neighbourhoods.

The Whole Story:

The city announced it is seeking proposals from design firms to help reimagine 8 Street SW, between 17 Avenue SW and the Bow River. 

Officials noted that the neighbourhood corridor is a vital place that will be central to the re-invention of the western part of Calgary’s downtown. It is an area that has hit the hardest by office vacancies. In recent years the city has seen its office vacancy rate peak above 30 per cent. The city added that the street is also an important connector between the Beltline and the Bow River pathway system.

“It’s time to rethink 8 Street SW,” said Thom Mahler, Director, downtown strategy. “Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan identified it as an important downtown street to transform into a complete street with accessibility for all modes of transportation and as a linchpin of The City’s goal to create a green network of tree-lined, pedestrian-friendly streets connecting downtown’s diverse neighbourhoods and inventory of parks, outdoor spaces and pathways.”

Mahler explained that the project is an update of the 8 Street Corridor Public Realm Master Plan, completed in 2016 that included the reconstruction of the 8 Street underpass. Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan, approved by city council in 2021, identifies public realm improvements to 8 Street SW as a priority. According to the plan, the street holds importance as a potential green network, a pedestrian-focused space, and a neighbourhood hub in Calgary’s Downtown West and Beltline.  

Officials explained that their vision is for the street to create a “contemporary, pedestrian focused urban destination area with a distinct identity that connects people, parks and neighbourhoods, supported by vibrant retail experiences, and a variety of transportation modes.”

They believe the redesign will support private investment along the street and create a high-quality north-south pedestrian route from 17 Avenue SW to the river.

“A lot has changed since the 8 Street Corridor Public Realm Master Plan was developed, with the westside of Calgary’s downtown changing significantly since 2016,” said Shannon Reid, project manager for the 8 Street SW Public Realm Improvement Project. “We’re excited to launch this project to help shape the future of downtown and support community vibrancy in this important downtown neighbourhood.”

The objective of the 8 Street SW project is to execute the planning, design, and implementation of the remaining public realm improvements identified in the 8 Street Corridor Public Realm Master Plan – including the redevelopment of the streetscape and adjoining riverfront park. 

The project’s design team will be chosen through a request for proposal process.