September 14, 2022
For Wilsonville Public Works, it’s all coming together.
Construction of a new complex will allow the city of Wilsonville to consolidate its Public Works Department. Scott Edwards Architecture designed the multibuilding campus, and general contractor Emerick Construction is building it. A ground-breaking ceremony took place Friday.
Cumming Group, the owner’s representative, is providing construction management services for the $19.7 million project. Its team will help ensure work is completed within the set schedule and budget approved by the Wilsonville City Council.
Currently, the Public Works Department shares a facility with the Police Department.
“Right now, we’re spread out all over the city, which isn’t the most efficient way to run our operations,” Public Works Director Delora Kerber said.
The new complex will sit on 7.6 acres at 28625 S.W. Boberg Road, in a central location to serve the community. Multiple structures will allow Public Works to consolidate its functions, allowing for more efficient and cost-effective service delivery. There will be adequate office space, shop space, and storage space to support future city growth.
Officials began brainstorming for a new facility in 2014 and progressed to a master plan in 2015. A conceptual and design plan followed.
“It’s so exciting that it’s come to reality,” Kerber said. “I’m so happy for the support from the city manager and the city council members and the mayor to help make this happen.”
A 24,000-square-foot administration building will have offices, meeting rooms, crew rooms for four operational divisions, staff locker rooms, a break room, a laundry room, backup server space, a public conference room, and an Emergency Coordination Center meeting space.
“From the Boberg (Road) side, it will look like a one-story building, but as you make your way around to public access, you’ll see it’s two-story,” Scott Edwards Architecture associate and project manager Brandon Dole said.
The free-span structure will have deep steel trusses, allowing nonbearing walls to be adjusted later if needed.
A 20,000-square-foot metal warehouse will have shop spaces, Dole said. There will be a wood shop, a paint booth, a water quality lab, and some office space. All Public Works crews will store their tools and some large equipment there.
A staff courtyard will sit between the administration building and the warehouse, and a second-story patio will connect to the break room. The campus will have a mix of building types.
“We’re setting them up for a future vehicle wash,” Dole said.
There will be a facility for decantation: When any material is withdrawn from a city system, the water is extracted, and the dry material is hauled away. There will also be chemical storage, a shipping container for hazardous materials, and a large stormwater swale.
“We’re probably developing … 50-60 percent of the site,” Dole said, adding that the remainder will be left in a natural state.
To ensure safety, parking at the site will be separate for large fleet vehicles, staff vehicles, and visitor vehicles.
Construction of the entire complex is expected to finish as soon as summer 2024.
“Emerick is proud to be part of the Wilsonville Public Works project,” said Jordan Fell, executive vice president of Emerick Construction. “We have a long history of building essential facilities for our communities and are excited to add Wilsonville to that list.”