Independence Begins Phase II of Flats East Bank Redevelopment Project

At the start of 2011, Independence Excavating began the second phase of work on the much anticipated Flats East Bank redevelopment project. After having completed the first phase of the CSO Pump Station and Sewers in May of 2010, we have been anxiously awaiting the start of the second phase, which consists of an 18-story office tower and hotel complex. A lot of time was spent by our estimating and project management teams to get us to the point of mobilization. In January our field crews hit the ground running.

Our scope of work for the second phase includes modifying the existing earth retention system that was installed during the first phase, site remediation, excavation for building foundations, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, waterline, concrete paving, asphalt paving and landscaping.

One of our first and most challenging activities on the project was the removal of the foundations and contaminated material that has been on the site since the early 1900s. The site previously served as the grounds for the storage of coal gas, which was used to power the City of Cleveland's street lights. The main above ground structures of these gas holder tanks have long been removed from the site, but in order to construct the foundation of the new office tower and hotel, the foundations of these tanks had to be removed.

Following the remediation of the site, we started assisting the building concrete contractor with the excavation for all of the building foundations. The main office tower of the new structure will sit on a five foot thick concrete mat foundation that required us to excavate to a depth of 12 feet across a portion of the site. We had to work closely with the geotechnical and structural engineers in monitoring the existing earth retention system to make sure it was not being affected. The remainder of the hotel and parking garage structures will sit on H-piles and pile caps, which we will also be performing the excavation for.

We also are responsible for all of the work outside of the building footprint. We recently started the installation of the storm and sanitary sewers, and a waterline has to be installed on a portion of the project. Also included in our work are all the roadways surrounding the new project, including the removal of portions of Front Avenue, West 10th Street, Main Avenue and Old River Road. Once we have removed these they will be replaced with new concrete and asphalt roads, which will greatly improve these roads from their current condition.

The final portions of this project are improvements that are being made along the Cuyahoga River. The current plans have this area being cleaned up and turned into at recreational park. We will be responsible for remediating this area, by removing two feet of existing material and replacing it with clean fill. Once that is completed it will be landscaped, and serve as a park area, until future development comes to fruition.

Everyone that has been involved with the Flats East Bank project, from office to field personnel, has been doing a great job so far keeping up with the constant changes to the project. While this project is a design/build project, it is constantly evolving and changing. With future development plans continuing to evolve, even as our work continues, there is great potential for this project to expand. We are looking forward to see the project develop further into the future, and we hope we can continue to be a part of it. This job is serving as one of the big projects currently under construction in the City of Cleveland that will help in rejuvenating the city, and we are thrilled to be a part of the construction team.