Construction on Herculaneum’s new Public Works building is nearing completion, City Administrator Jim Kasten said.
The new salt shed was included in the project and already is completed, filled and ready for winter, he said.
Kasten said a new salt shed was needed to comply with Missouri Department of Natural Resources standards.
“They wanted something that was totally closed in, out of the weather, and has a concrete floor for the salt,” he said.
The previous salt structure had a roof but was not fully enclosed.
Because the city was required to construct the new salt shed, Kasten said it made sense to replace the old Public Works building at the same time.
The old building was constructed in the late 1970s, needed many repairs and was too small for the city’s needs, he added.
The new 50-by-160-foot Public Works building is being constructed on property the city owns behind the Herculaneum Firehouse at 155 Riverview Plaza Drive. The new building is substantially larger than the former building at 135 Joachim Ave, which was 40-by-60 feet.
The additional space will allow the city to store equipment such as trucks, skids and other work vehicles, Kasten said.
“Right now, a lot of our equipment just sits out because we have no place to put it,” he said. “So we’re going to be able to put all of our backhoes and our trucks inside once we get this building up and running.”
In addition to four bays for equipment and vehicles, the new building also will have more indoor space, a larger break room for workers and access to 220-volt electrical outlets.
Kasten said the city also plans to install solar panels on the building to help with energy conservation.
The Public Works building originally was expected to be finished by the end of October, but construction was delayed because of a seven-month back order for a 600-amp electric panel, which was not delivered until mid-December.
Kasten said now that the electric panel is available, the next step is for installation of an electric pole, which he anticipates happening during the week of Jan. 15.
“Once that’s done, then the electrician can come in and put in the electric and get the furnace going,” he said. “Then we can do the mudding, taping and painting.”
Kasten said the city is hoping the building is move-in ready in February.
He also said the city plans to have an open house in March after the snow season has passed.
Kasten said the salt shed was completed in November.
Public Works supervisor Mark Johnson said the city uses approximately 300 to 400 tons of salt on the city-maintained streets during an average winter.
The city awarded a $1.2 million contract to A. Eilers Construction in St. Peters to construct the Public Works building. The company submitted the lowest of five bids for the project.
During the building process, four change orders were submitted, adding a total of $331,861.05 more to the project.
Kasten said the change orders were due to several factors, including extra rock breakage and removal; unfavorable soil which necessitated additional concrete; additional plumbing; and adjustments for cost for installation of electric, sewer and water lines.
“We didn’t know what the cost for running the sewer and water line down to the firehouse was going to be. For the electric, we didn’t know which way Ameren wanted to come in, so once we knew that, then we went out for bid for that,” Kasten said.