Seattle - Express Construction Company recently completed major tenant improvements to Union, a new restaurant located in the Poll Building at the corner of First Avenue and Union Street.

Working under a strict budget and on a tight five-week timeline to meet a scheduled opening, Express renovated the 4,069-sq.-ft. space into the modern, new downtown restaurant. The space features radius walls, hardwood flooring, custom-designed casework with glass-lighted tops and other high-quality accents.

Tom Bennett, project manager, and Chris Hashbarger, superintendent, led the project for Express, and Henry Walters with Walker Architecture provided design services. Other project team members included David McCauley Floors, Generation Glass, Northwest Woodworks, and Wizard Electric.

Former DT Architecture Creates New Firm

Seattle - DT Architecture recently transitioned to a new firm - MOSAIC - Architecture, Planning and Design. This event signifies a change in ownership structure and a renewed commitment to design excellence, community planning and service. Joshua Scott has worked in Seattle for DT Architecture since September 2000, and will continue as principal of MOSAIC's Seattle studio. DT Architecture's past and current clients will continue to receive design and planning services from the MOSAIC's studio, located at 3131 Western Ave.

MOSAIC is the collaboration between two studios, located in Helena, Mont., and Seattle. Significant completed public projects by the former DT Architecture include the Great Northern Town Center in Helena, Mont., the University of Montana Student Recreation Center, and the remodel of the High Point Shopping Center in Port Orchard, Wash.

Hanford - RCI Environmental was recently awarded the $9.2 million contract for the construction of Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility Cells 5 & 6.

The Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility (ERDF) is a large CERCLA disposal facility that receives radioactive and chemically contaminated wastes from the Hanford site. The facility currently consists of four disposal cells. RCIE's contract is to expand the facility to six cells. Each cell is approximately 50 ft. by 500 ft. at the base and 70 ft. deep. At the surface, each pair of cells is approximately 710 ft. by 1410 ft. The cells have a double liner, double leachate collection system, and some ancillary site work.

The leachate collection system includes construction of one crest pad building for each cell housing a piping manifold and electrical controls, and instrumentation for the cell's three submersible pumps (a total of six submersible pumps). Also included is the piping between the manifolds and sumps at the bottom of the cells, extension of double lined piping from the new crest pad buildings to the existing leachate collection system, and extension of the existing electrical power and signal wires to the new crest pad buildings.

Earthwork will consist of excavating approximately 1.2 million bank cubic yards of soil, most of which will be placed in a nearby stockpile. Approximately 140,000 bcy of the excavated soil will be compacted at the edge of the excavation to form embankments for the new cells. A pug mill will be operated to produce approximately 75,000 cubic yard of bentenite clay/soil admix. A three-foot thick operations layer of excavated soil will be placed on top of the completed liner system.

The liner system will consist of the admix layer, two one-foot thick gravel drainage layers, and two high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liners with associated geotextile and geomembrane layers.

Ancillary site work will include addition of yard lighting and piping in the nearby waste transportation container queue area.

Southview Center Two Complete by April

Vancouver - Team Construction of Vancouver, Wash., was recently selected to build Southview Center Two, a new office complex located at 3250 SE 164th Ave. here.

The new 23,269-sq.-ft. center will feature steel frame construction with a brick veneer finish. Interior spaces will be fashioned to accommodate new tenants and a 100-car parking lot. New concrete walkways will highlight the supporting exterior finishes.

Construction is expected to be complete in April.