INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Beam-by-beam and column-by-column, F.A. Wilhelm Construction is building a six story, post-tensioned parking structure with a precast concrete facade to resemble the fluted limestone on the One America Tower. Soon, One America employees and other tenants and visitors to the tower will park their vehicles, and walk into the tower via a steel pedestrian bridge spanning New York Street.
The parking structure is large and needed: its 1,239 spaces will be added to 662 spaces below the tower and other spaces for One America employees in surrounding lots. Given Wilhelm Construction’s 90-year history of building significant, complex projects, it’s fitting and an honor for the company to be in the heart of downtown action.
“Wilhelm is the strongest contractor for this type of construction in the city,” says Jim Crossin, Vice President of Flaherty & Collins Properties, developer of the garage and pedestrian bridge for One America.
Construction began last November. Wilhelm cleared the lot and in December dug footings and installed the first of 1,100 aggregate stone piers.
Plans were in motion long before: “There is a lot of discussion; hours and hours of putting the details on paper and reviewing them,” says Wilhelm Project Superintendent Bob Shackelford, As work proceeded on schedule through the winter, spring and summer, Wilhelm Construction demonstrated its ability to perform nearly every function required for major urban projects. About 145 employees worked on the garage and 80 helped build and place the pedestrian bridge.
The garage and bridge are nearing completion. The statistics are impressive: more than 13,650 cubic yards of concrete poured for the garage; 176,000 pounds of steel welded and bolted for the bridge; stairs and elevators placed in the garage and a lobby Wilhelm is building where the bridge joins the tower. Wilhelm installed two 8 foot diameter by 107 feet long culvert pipes underneath the building to slow rainwater runoff before it enters the city system.
Jason King, Wilhelm’s Project Manager, says, “Wilhelm is on schedule to meet the original scheduled completion date in November even though we encountered three weeks delay due to underground obstructions. This is the kind of full-team effort Wilhelm is known for.”
For many, the pedestrian bridge was the most eye-catching part of the project.
The new One America garage is in a key location. The streets bordering the garage — Capitol Avenue and Illinois, New York and Vermont streets — are buzzing with activity. Several once-vacant buildings and open lots are transforming into new commercial and residential locations. Just one block northwest of the garage, Wilhelm is the completing the concrete, masonry and steel portions of the Axis Project, combining a Marsh Supermarket, other retail, housing and parking.
