Northeast Regional Report

Region recovers from setbacks with diversification, new focus

By Sam Barnes

Louisiana's northeast region has endured some of the most turbulent economic times in its history during the last few years by finding new ways to generate jobs and revenue.

Alexandria has suffered from military base closures and a stagnating building market, while Monroe has endured layoffs by major employers such as State Farm, Graphic Packaging International and Chase Manhattan.

But they're finding ways to bounce back.

In Alexandria, the continued development of Alexandria International Airport, which began converting from the closed England Air Force Base in the early 1990s, will take a big step this year.

"We're building a new $20 million air terminal, which should be let for bid soon," said Scott Gammel, manager of the airport.

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The new 75,000-sq.-ft., three-level terminal is actually the second phase of a four-phase, $33 million project that kicked off last year with construction of the terminal access road. Future phases will include parking and aircraft apron construction, which should all be completed by fourth quarter 2005.

Airline companies such as Continental, Northwest and American have already been attracted to the airport.

Alexandria will also benefit from the Army's decision to use Fort Polk in Leesville as one of six training sites for a new type of quick-response military brigade called the Stryker Brigade.

"An estimated $250 million in construction projects will come to the central Louisiana area as a result of this new designation," according to the Louisiana Economic Outlook, published by economists Loren Scott, James Richardson and A. M. M. Jamal.

There are other bits of encouraging news for the Alexandria area.

The first is the announcement that the Federal Penitentiary at Pollock will undergo a $9.14 million expansion. This expansion is projected to create 250 additional jobs at the facility."

Flinto Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., was awarded the contract and broke ground at the site in early February.

Also, Proctor & Gamble has announced a $125 million expansion of its detergent plant in Pineville. While this expansion will result in only 20 new permanent jobs, it did spin off several "feeder" businesses in the area.

In Monroe, the biggest potential boost in construction will come from a $50 million student living project at the University of Louisiana at Monroe that will provide new apartment- and suite-style student housing and renovate existing housing.

Initial plans call for Dallas-based JPI Campus Quarters to renovate two dormitories on the ULM campus and to demolish six student housing buildings constructed in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for new buildings.

Demolition is expected to begin in May for the apartment portion of the project, which will be completed by fall 2005. The suite-style student living project will finish by fall 2006.

On the downside, Monroe will feel declines from decisions by Riverwood International and State Farm to reduce their workforces. Also, now that interest rates are going up the volume of home refinancing should slow considerably.

"That will likely lead Chase Manhattan (mortgage division) to shed employees," the Louisiana Economic Outlook said. "And we are concerned that continued high natural gas prices will force Koch Nitrogen to completely shutter its plant in Sterlington."

These will be difficult blows for the Monroe area to absorb.

The state's transportation program will provide the biggest dollar-volume projects across the entire region. Large four-laning projects are underway on U. S. Highway 165 in Columbia, U.S. Highway 167 between Jonesboro and Ruston, U. S. Highway 167 north of Ruston and LA 15 near Sicily Island.

Most recently, James Construction Group Inc. was the low bidder on a $12.6 million U. S. 167 four-laning project in Dubach. Construction is scheduled to begin this year. The 2.6-mi. segment will be widened to five lanes through the town.

Project snapshots

U. S. 165 four-laning, Columbia. By far the largest TIMED (Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development) project in the northern half of the state will four-lane a section of U. S. 165 and build a new Ouachita River Bridge in Columbia.

The $42 million project is being performed as part of two separate contracts by Jensen Construction Co. of Tulsa, Okla., and consists of a main span, elevated approaches and a four-lane roadway.

"We're currently working on the four main river piers inside the levees," said Mark Buller, project superintendent for the main span. "Then we'll set the structural steel and deck over the river." In January, three of the four piers were complete, with completion of the fourth expected by late summer.

"We'll place the decking and concrete on the main span portion in the fall," Buller added. "The bridge will be opened by the summer of 2006."

Construction of more than 2,000 ft. of elevated and ground level approaches is just getting underway.

"The north end will be done by Christmas," said approach superintendent J. D. Stewart. "We've got 10 bents with 40 precast piles and five bents of drilled shafts." Bentz & Elmore of Monroe will perform the ground-level road construction.

LA 15 from Greenville to Sicily Island. Diamond B. Construction Co. Inc. of Alexandria is widening a new section of roadway to four lanes from Sicily Island to Greenville.

The $18.8 million project requires the widening of the road to four lanes, clearing and grubbing, removal of existing pavement, removal of surfacing and stabilized base, grading, drainage structure construction, base course and lime treatment.

Engineering was performed by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Other TIMED work across the region includes:

• The $13.6 million four laning of U. S. 167 from the Jackson Parish Line to LA 3061 in Lincoln Parish. James Construction Group of Baton Rouge is performing the work.
  

• The $10.5 million four-laning of U. S. 165 from Forrest Hill to Woodworth in Rapides Parish by Diamond B. Construction Co. Inc. of Alexandria.

When detail design work on the Coughlin-Saunders structure began at the firm's Little Rock office, designers used their previous experience with designs of similar-sized facilities in Alexandria and Little Rock to meet client demands.

The jobsite is near the Red River levee in downtown Alexandria at the site of an old department store.

"Although the store had been demolished some time ago, we still had to remove existing brick and concrete foundations when we broke ground in October 2002," Ratcliff Construction Co. Inc. project manager Greg Corbett said. "Fill dirt was then used to raise the entire site area by about 3.5 ft."

Perhaps most unique early on was the excavation of a 13-ft.-deep hole to accommodate the facility's orchestra pit and instrument storage room. An elaborate drainage system was installed to accommodate water seepage from the nearby river and a heavier concentration of piles and concrete was placed to support the orchestra pit lift.

"This is a hybrid structure," Corbett added. "We had to put up some steel, then the masonry contractor laid the 12-in. block, then the steel guys came back. Some of the beams bear on steel columns and in other places the beams rest on masonry." Steel trusses measuring 90 ft. long support the theater roof.

The masonry-steel configuration allowed the architect to specify steel only where necessary, primarily in the stage area, in order to minimize expense. South Louisiana Masonry LLC of Baton Rouge is installing the masonry and Southern Steel Fabricators Inc. of Monroe is fabricating the steel.

Two distinct seating areas within the auditorium are being constructed at a slope and a radius, one beginning near the stage area and the other toward the back half of the theater.

When completed in April, the new Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center will have three main entrances, one facing the River Oaks Arts Center and the others facing bordering streets.

University Park Apartments, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston. The $14 million University Park Apartments, owned by Innovative Student Facilities of Ruston, will soon provide a privatized housing alternative for Louisiana Tech University students.

Six of the 17 buildings will open by September, with the remainder finished by summer 2005.

Rich Nadler, project manager with Lincoln Builders Inc. of Ruston, said the project has to move at a fast pace to accomplish the tiered schedule. The contractor broke ground at the site in October after an extensive four-month site preparation phase.

"Right now, we've got 17 different buildings, all in different stages of construction," Nadler said. "At the north site, which is separated by Alabama Avenue, three of the six buildings are already going vertical." The buildings are being constructed with a modular wall system.

The remaining 11 buildings are located on the other side of the avenue.

"The buildings are in three-building clusters surrounding a courtyard and connected by sidewalks," Nadler added.

The buildings are supported by 200 drilled shafts ranging from 18 to 48 in. diameter. The exteriors of the buildings will be made of brick veneer and cement board.

West Monroe High School, West Monroe. Expansions totaling about $4 million at West Monroe High School will expand the band room and cafeteria once completed this spring.

Don Barron Contractor Inc. of Farmerville is performing the work.

"We're adding on to the existing band room and cafeteria to provide more space," said jobsite superintendent Glen Salsbury.

Both of the buildings are made with concrete block and brick. All of the work will be completed this month.

Other projects. Remaining large-dollar-volume work across the region is commercial in nature.

• Breck Construction Co. of Monroe recently broke ground on a 42-unit condominium complex in West Monroe. The $5.7 million project is being supervised by Todd Gentry.
  

• A $5.5 million strip mall anchored by Ross Department Store in Monroe is being built by Hill Wilkinson of Dallas.
  
• The Grand Theater in Alexandria is halfway through construction. Tudor Inc. of Alexandria is building the $4.8 million theater.

Useful resources:

For more background about the student housing initiative at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, go to: http://www.ulm.edu/publicaffairs/jan04/housing.html