Snow Doesn’t Stop Progress On Valley Mall

Thu., Nov. 21, 1996

Jennifer Plunkett Staff Writer

As more snow drifts into the area, construction crews building two of the three anchor stores at the Spokane Valley Mall are finishing the roofs of those buildings.

“The basic problem is getting rid of the snow and getting it off the roof for the roofers,” said Vincent Campanella, project manager for J.C. Penney.

“We’ve been pretty lucky so far. With the amount of rain we got in October, there was a little problem with moisture. But everything pretty well dried out.”

Preliminary roof work is nearly finished at the J.C. Penney and Bon Marche buildings. But crews at the Sears building won’t begin to work on the roof of the third anchor store or the Sears automotive center until next month.

Final building permits for the Sears stores were obtained on Oct. 30, county planner Jeff Forry said.

One-third of the structural steel work on Sears’ 126,000-square foot building is complete. The foundation of the auto center is finished, Sears contractor Steve Goebel said.

Over the next three weeks, crews will complete structural steel work and begin to pour concrete slabs for the first- and second-level floors.

At the 120,000-square foot Bon building, concrete slabs for the first level floor are in place and second-level floor slabs will be finished next week, said project superintendent Scott Lindsey of Baugh Construction.

The building’s roof is 35 percent complete and crews have started to create walls for the main shopping area, fitting rooms, offices and stock rooms inside the store, he said.

Over the next three weeks, Baugh workers will complete the roof and continue to install plumbing, electrical and mechanical lines throughout the store.

Campanella said structural steel work is complete at J.C. Penney, as are the concrete slabs for the first- and second-level floors. Crews have started on the electrical and mechanical work inside the building.

For the next three weeks, Lydig workers will focus on framing the interior of the store and fireproofing both levels.

In the main mall area, workers continue to work on the roof and the exterior walls, said J.P. Realty president Rex Frazier. Electrical and mechanical work is also progressing and workers are beginning to put up interior walls for the mall stores, he said.

Winter-like weather creates problems at any construction site, but the snow and cold has not come as a surprise, the contractors said.

“In an area like this, you just deal with the weather,” said Campanella. “You just kinda roll with the punches and take advantage of the good weather when you have it.

, DataTimes

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