Miles-McClellan Helps North Carolina Town Navigate Rapid Growth Enhancing Peace of Mind and Recreational Opportunities
The Town of Mooresville, NC has more than doubled over the last 20 years. The population has grown from 32,711 in 2010 to 50,193 in the last decade alone, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. With this rapid growth, the city had to expand its services protect and improve the lives of its citizens.
After being granted $46.5 million in limited obligation bonds from The Local Government Commission to improve public safety and services, the Town of Mooresville contracted Miles-McClellan to design and build a new $3.5 million fire station and training center. Fire Station No. 6 is 13,000 square feet and will feature two engine bays, locker rooms, sleep quarters, administrative offices, a full kitchen, conference space and an outdoor patio.
Although the project is progressing nicely today (check out the progress on our live webcam), it did not come without challenges. The fire station was scheduled to be presented to the Board in March of 2020, but the North Carolina government locked down due to COVID-19, and Mooresville halted spending on all new projects. The Fire House 6 project was delayed until February 2021. During the delay, many material shortages and price increases occurred in the construction industry, but with the collective hard work of Miles-McClellan, the design team and the Town of Mooresville, Miles-McClellan was able to deliver the same product at a similar price and construction continues to move forward.
In addition to Fire Station No. 6, Miles-McClellan has worked with the town to enhance cultural and recreational opportunities for all the citizens of Mooresville. The company was awarded the $3 million Selma Burke Center Renovation, which was a high priority project for Mooresville’s Parks and Recreation Department. The renovation consisted of some “tricky elements,” according to Chris Wyckoff, Mooresville’s facilities and construction manager, like combining existing structures into one elemental structure. Miles-McClellan also managed the site work (landscape, furnishings and signage), renovations to the existing gymnasium with new basketball courts, a new playground and picnic shelter and a new 8,000 square foot, prefabricated multi-purpose building with classrooms.
“Their ability to work with our needs and sub-contractors, as well as control a project through difficult weather was spot-on,” says Wyckoff.
Miles-McClellan also managed the town’s Art Depot renovation, a historic building dating back to the 1970s, bringing the facility up to ADA standards and allowing the Art Guild to utilize their warehouse areas, featuring open beams and heavy barn doors, in a way previously not possible.
Miles-McClellan projects don’t just enhance the lives of the two-legged residents of Mooresville, they also help some 4-legged residents with the development of The Officer Jordan H. Sheldon Memorial Dog Park in Cornelius Park. The dog park is dedicated to a fallen K-9 officer who was killed in the line of duty. Wyckoff says the work on the dog park “led to a great moment of healing and happiness for the town, the family and the police department.”
“Working with Miles-McClellan on Fire Station No. 6 has been a great team experience all the way through design and now well into construction. They have demonstrated their ability to perform on previous projects and have continued to deliver. It is great working with a contractor who you can trust also wants to be a steward of tax-payer dollars and do right for all stake-holders.”
Christopher Wyckoff
Facilities & Construction Director
The Town of Mooresville