Los Angeles Archives | Page 6 of 6

Another interesting project that Conco has been involved in recently is the renovation of the Los Angeles Hall of Justice. The building, which was constructed in 1925, is a perfect example of how smart solutions were necessary to save the project. Our collective expertise, experience and cost-effective techniques were put to good use.

The building was heavily damaged, and consequently completely abandoned after the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Plans for the renovation had been discussed for many years before anything happened. Finally the County of Los Angeles awarded Clark Construction Group California along with design partner AC Martin the Hall of Justice Repair and Reuse Project. Work began in early 2012 and is expected to be completed sometime in 2014.

Conco’s scope of work includes all of the shotcrete, concrete, and rebar. We are also resurfacing the entire existing floor surfaces in the Hall of Justice’s structure and constructing a new 9 story, 1,000 car parking structure on the same site.

Using shotcrete means the walls can be constructed faster and with less material to save both time and money, which is exactly what the renovation of the Hall of Justice needed. It is the method of applying concrete pneumatically through a high pressure nozzle and offers an economic advantage over typical cast-in-place concrete with reduced forming needed. The structural retrofit would have been economically impossible without the use of shotcrete.

The L.A. Hall of Justice has a rich history with all sorts of interesting and notorious visitors that have come through the doors. According to Wikipedia, the building was used in scenes on Perry Mason, Dragnet, and Get Smart. For years, it was the primary county jail housing such infamous prisoners as Charles Mason and Sirhan Sirhan. A cell block that includes the area where Charles Manson’s was kept will be left as a new interpretive center.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. As one of the leading commercial concrete contractors in the San Jose area, we have been involved with large-scale projects in the area including the Mineta Airport. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

Our extensive portfolio is diverse in the kinds of projects we have done. Conco’s concrete services have been enlisted for projects in healthcare, education, industry, residential, and parking as well as entertainment. We had the privilege to be involved with the building of the renowned Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, CA. a few years ago.

The Nokia Theater is part of L.A. Live, a complex of retail, entertainment, and sports development that has contributed to the revival of L.A.’s downtown area. Located in the South Park district of downtown and adjacent to the Staples Center, the complex also contains the ESPN studios and ESPN Zone restaurant/arcade complex, The Grammy Museum, Club Nokia, and the AEG Building.

Primary developer of the enormous project was the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) and the total cost of the project was $2.5 billion. The project contractor on the Nokia Theater and several of the other components was the Clark Construction Group; architect was RTKL Associates, Inc. and ELS Architecture & Urban Design. Engineer was John A. Martin & Associates, Inc.

Conco’s contribution was to build the two-story below-grade parking structure that provides the structural support for the complex. One of the several awards the project received for design and construction elements included the Excellence in Concrete Award from the American Concrete Institute – Southern California Chapter.

The 7,100-seat Nokia Theater opened its doors for the first event on October 18, 2007 with a concert from the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks. In the several years since opening, the theater has become a popular venue for many events including the home of the Primetime Emmy Awards until at least 2018. It has also hosted the American Music Awards and the ESPYs as well as several finale shows for American Idol. The former Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, said at the time, “Without a doubt, Nokia Theatre…is the cherry on top of the major successes we’re witnessing in downtown.”

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation in the Los Angeles area with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

Conco has been given the opportunity to participate in another landmark project by providing concrete services for the new Wilshire Grand Center being built in downtown L.A. The new tower will become the tallest building in the United States west of the Mississippi. This is one of several of our large-scale projects in Los Angeles. Others include the recently completed 125 year old Hall of Justice retrofit, the new Federal Courthouse, a new 45 story cast in place building at 10000 Santa Monica, The iconic ARTIC transportation Center in Anaheim and several smaller projects.

The Wilshire Grand is being built by the Turner Construction Co., which is one of the largest construction firms in the U.S. This is not the first major project that Conco has partnered on with the company. In addition to other large scale projects, Turner Construction and Conco have partnered together in building the new San Francisco 49ers Levi Stadium.

Work on the new Wilshire Grand began in late 2013 and will be the biggest Los Angeles area project to-date for Conco. The plan calls for the largest monolithic mat foundation pour ever attempted. Over the course of approximately 18 hours, over 21,000 cubic yards of concrete will be placed. By the end of the pour, we will have completed a foundation that is nearly 20 ft. thick.

The project is on an accelerated schedule including the work Conco is doing. All of the concrete work will be “cast in place concrete,” which is labor intensive. We will be on a 4-day core wall cycle, which means that every 4 days, concrete for a new floor will be poured.

The Wilshire Grand is expected to cost $1 billion once it is completed in 2017, and includes a 900-room hotel, retail and office space. The building will stand 1,100 ft. tall. With safety in mind, and to protect from terrorist attacks as well as other types of emergencies, the core of the building will be made of concrete. The L.A. Times reports that “four-foot-thick concrete walls will surround a staircase at the center of the building for people to use in case of an emergency.”

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We have built our reputation in the Los Angeles area with superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast experience. Our concrete services include commercial, educational, parking and other construction development as well as public works projects and highways.

Contract Award

Turnkey concrete package for Los Angeles Hall of Justice

The Los Angeles Hall of Justice has been closed since the magnitude 6.7 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 335,000 sq. ft. building stands 14 floors tall in L.A.’s downtown. Originally constructed in 1925, this imposing structure was meant to convey a sense of justice and public importance. The Hall was designed in the classic Italianate style and was constructed with Type I non-combustible building materials including concrete floor slabs, a steel frame structure encased in concrete, granite exterior veneer, and hollow clay tile partitions at the interior. The Hall of Justice also presented a stunning interior with an ornate, barrel-vaulted entry foyer, gold-marble walls, and large ionic columns supporting the exquisitely gilded ceiling.

Although the building was completely abandoned following the earthquake, plans to revive it have been under consideration more than a decade. To date, all hazardous materials have been abated and all interior demolition of infrastructure systems and non-bearing walls have been completed. The building has been prepared for its eventual restoration and re-occupancy as an office building. After many years of designs and budgets, Clark Construction was awarded the job in a design build competition valued at $151,000,000.00.

A key part of the reconstruction is to preserve and restore the historic features of this important structure while bringing the building up to existing seismic codes. In order to accomplish this, shotcrete will be used extensively to reinforce existing concrete walls.

Conco’s scope of work will included all shotcrete, concrete, and rebar. We are also resurfacing the entire existing floor surfaces in the Hall of Justice structure and constructing a new 9 story, 1000 car parking structure on the same site.