Project Overview
The City of Valparaiso expanded its popular Central Park by creating a place for four-season activity and recreation. The newly developed park expansion features landscaped public plazas, ample seating and a gateway water feature. The activities center holds indoor gathering spaces, restrooms, skate rental and storage. The William E. Urschel Pavilion hosts outdoor events during spring, summer and fall months, and a chilled slab ice skating rink during winter months.
Approach
Construction started in the fall and spanned the winter months. To reach project completion by the following summer, temporary heated enclosures were required to keep the project on schedule. Under these sensitive conditions, Berglund self-performed a city block of colored concrete work that made the new public plazas.
The project's defining architectural feature is the arched roof that spans the William E. Urschel Pavilion. The curved glu-lam timber beams that create the roof structure were pre-fabricated to their 105-foot length in a shop in Arkansas. Working with the City of Valparaiso, Berglund developed turn-by-turn route plans so the trucks could transport these enormous beams off the highway, through the busy city center and onto the jobsite. This "just-in-time" delivery plan included setting and installing the beams directly from the truck onto the pavilion as they arrived on site.
Finally, thousands of feet of piping were installed to create the ice freezing system for what is now the popular ice rink. Berglund's detailed quality control plan ensured the system passed key inspections before the slab was poured to create the foundation for the ice.
Outcomes
This project transformed a half-city block in downtown Valparaiso that has become a top destination for families year-round. From hosting farmers markets in the summer to ice skating in the winter, the pavilion has created a central place for a wide range of activities catering to residents and visitors of all ages and interests. In 2016, the park was recognized as one of the nation’s best public spaces by the American Planning Association.
Our “just-in-time” delivery plan required setting and installing 105-foot-long, curved glu timber beams directly from delivery trucks onto the pavilion as they arrived on site.
“With a tight site in the heart of busy downtown Valparaiso, the key to this project’s success was collaborative logistics planning with key city stakeholders.”