Dynamic scope changes overcome compounded historical challenges.
The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Project was initiated to coincide with the Centennial Celebration of the Birth of this Terminal Switching Railroad System in 1908. The NOPBR has the sole responsibility/privilege of distributing rail cars from other railways that come to the New Orleans area to their final destination. No significant improvements had been made to the buildings or infrastructure since the original construction in 1900 – 1911.
DonahueFavret Contractors held weekly project meetings with owners' representatives, subcontractors, and the design team due to the fact that the scope had to be revised repeatedly to accommodate issues such as existing sewer lines that had to be tied into were found to be at the wrong elevation or so deteriorated that they could not be utilized. In one case, an entire building to be renovated was deemed structurally unsound and had to be demolished and reconstructed elsewhere on the site. There were years of undocumented revisions to power conductors and communication wiring. Aside from the ever-changing scope of this project, this facility remained fully operational throughout construction.
Square Footage
20,000 SF
Completion
13 months
Owner
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
Architect
Wink Companies, LLC
Project Location
New Orleans, LA
You and your team took a run down, dirty, pathetic looking non-maintained one-hundred year old facility and turned it into one of the most photographed boutique terminal railroads within the United States. The word is out within the railroad industry about the beautiful new "face lift" at New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.
Jim Bridger, General Manager
New Orleans Public Belt Railroad
