Altoona Public Works

The construction of the new Altoona Public Works Facility provided the City of Altoona with a modern, centralized facility designed to support the City’s growing public works operations. Located at 1511 17th Avenue SW, the approximately 123,000-square-foot facility includes large vehicle parking areas, maintenance bays, shop spaces, and an administrative office wing with private offices, open work areas, locker rooms, and a break room. Designed by Shive Hattery, the facility was constructed with insulated precast concrete panels and a steel-framed roof.

One of the unique aspects of the project was the variety of environments that needed to be supported within the same facility. The large vehicle parking, maintenance, and shop areas were designed with an underfloor heating system to provide heat throughout the large open spaces without requiring cooling. The administrative portion of the building required both heating and cooling, creating two distinctly different mechanical environments that had to be carefully coordinated throughout the facility.

The size and function of the building also presented unique coordination challenges. Mechanical systems had to be integrated throughout large open maintenance and vehicle areas while also serving the more traditional office and administrative spaces. The facility was fully sprinklered, adding another important component to the overall mechanical coordination. Careful planning between Cunningham’s team, the construction manager, and the other trades was necessary to coordinate the systems within the precast structure and steel-framed building.

The completed facility provides Altoona’s Public Works Department with a purpose-built environment to maintain city vehicles and equipment, support daily operations, and provide administrative space for its staff. The project represents an important investment in the City’s infrastructure and provides the Public Works team with the space and systems needed to support Altoona’s continued growth.