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DECKS IN DOUBT: Atlanta parking deck collapse spawns investigation on campus
BRITTANY COFER
Issue date: 7/2/09 Section: News
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The collapse of midtown Atlanta's Centergy parking deck concerns the University because Hardin Construction Company, the general contractor for the collapsed deck, is building the two parking decks under construction on campus.
"[University] President Michael F. Adams has instructed Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Tim Burgess to see that a thorough inspection of all UGA parking decks is conducted," said Cynthia Hoke, director of the University Public Affairs News Service, in an e-mailed statement.
Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Company will foot the bill for the independent structural analysis of the two parking decks it is building on campus, said Hardin President Bill Pinto.
Pinto told The Red & Black he has "no worries at all" about the structural integrity of the two decks slated to open this fall.
"But in an abundance of caution, we offered to the University to bring in a third-party engineer to look at those under-construction decks and to allay any concerns that might exist," he said.
Hardin was selected in December 2007 as the general contractor for the two four-level parking structures - a 488-space deck at the Intramural Fields and a 445-space deck at the Performing Arts Center - which were expected to cost a total of about $19 million as of February this year.
The University Real Estate Foundation board gave final approval for the project in January and the Board of Regents approved the ground leases and rental agreements in April. The decks are the first projects for Hardin at the University, though it has constructed buildings for other public universities in the state, including residence halls at Armstrong Atlantic State University and Georgia State University.
The Regents approved the leases with the 63-year-old company in April following the collapse of the Atlanta Botanical Garden pedestrian bridge last December, a structure for which Hardin was partly involved in construction. The collapse resulted in one fatality and 18 injuries.
Hardin and two other companies were recently fined for their part in the December incident, but Hardin plans to appeal its $6,300 fine, according to an Associated Press report.
Eric Orbock, president of the University Real Estate Foundation, said in an e-mailed statement the foundation "believed that we selected the most qualified professionals to design and construct the decks."
"The Real Estate Foundation, with the participation of relevant UGA stakeholders including representatives of Parking Services and the Office of the University Architect, undertook a thorough qualifications based selection process for the architect and construction manager of the parking decks," he said.
Orbock said Hardin's experience and qualifications exceeded those of the other firms which proposed to serve as construction manager for the decks.
The decision to use Hardin Construction Company for the contract came not long after Hardin Chairman Brantley Barrow was appointed to the Alumni Board of Directors of the Terry College of Business in October 2007. It was two months before the University decided to go with Hardin for the parking deck projects.
The 55-member board, consisting of University alumni, advises the dean, faculty and staff of the Terry College and supports programs that cultivate a continued affiliation between alumni and the institution.
"There is no connection whatsoever between Mr. Barrow's involvement and Hardin's selection," Orbock said. "The company's selection was based solely on its qualifications."
Orbock said Hardin received uniformly positive reviews from former clients who were contacted during the vetting process.
Cathy Pharr, assistant vice president for Finance and Administration, said the University has not yet determined the firms it will use for the independent structural analysis of the 10 parking decks on campus.
"We are in the process of identifying the firms right now," she said. "We are obviously being thorough to make sure we get qualified contractors or structural engineering firms to do the analysis."
Pharr said her office hopes to have the firms selected by next week and the University will look for the most qualified firm for the job.
The analysis will take place by the start of the fall semester, but Pharr said the desire is for it to be completed "as soon as possible."
In the mean time, University Parking Services has put up a statement on its Web site instructing anyone who would prefer not to park in a deck until the structural analysis is completed to contact its office for an alternate parking assignment. None of the decks will be closed during the inspections.
If the firms find structural defects with the new parking decks during the analysis, Pharr said the University will have to determine the best course of action "once the inspections are done."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," she said. "But we are not expecting them to find anything [wrong with the decks]."
The cause of the collapsed deck in Atlanta is still unknown and is under investigation, said Pinto. There were no victims, but at least 38 vehicles were damaged in the collapse, according to an Associated Press report.
"I think in the long run, [the collapse] will not affect future business. In the short run it's raising some questions in the consciousness of some of our clients," he said.
Pinto said Hardin is letting its clients and the public know the incident is "an anomaly, and not something systemic."
The collapsed deck in Atlanta does not automatically disqualify Hardin from consideration for future construction projects at the University, according to Orbock.
"The company can bid on any project it chooses, and it will be evaluated based on the procedures and qualifications required for each project upon which it bids," Orbock said.
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