Saint Louis Municipal Service Center was designed as an addition and renovation to an existing facility:

57,000 square foot expansion
58,000 square foot renovation
Completed in fall 2010
Approx. Cost: $8,400,000.00

The existing 1971 Municipal Service Center building was outdated, inaccessible, and too crowded for the employees to efficiently operate.  In addition, the Utilities Division, previously housed elsewhere, was to be relocated to the Municipal Service Center.  Oertel Architects was hired to analyze the feasibility of the site for the additional department, which led to the design of a multi-phased addition and remodel staged to keep current operations fully functional during construction.

This project presented several challenges, the largest of which was the poor soil conditions discovered in nearly all areas of the site.  The resolutions included the demolition and re-design of an original wall that was constructed on unsuitable soil, with two options for pricing purposes, three re-design options of the large holding pond, and a berm addition to make use of the mitigated soils to avoid trucking and disposal fees.  Continuous communication between the design team, the contractor and the owner were crucial to the success of the project.