Museum Expansion Project
Page updated August 23 2008
Our museum is about to begin a long anticipated, and badly needed expansion project. The existing museum is filled to the brim with artifacts and memorabilia. We need more space for displays and by adding more space will offer new exciting exhibits for the public to enjoy! Our building program will add over 2400 sq. feet to the existing museum!
Donations to our expansion project are greatly appreciated and all gifts will be used strictly for this project. Your donation is tax deductible and will be acknowledged on our "Friends of the Museum" wall. Please contact our Museum Fundraising Offficer:Col. Pearson Knolle with your pledge.
This entire area to be closed in for expansion!
Additional area is 2400 sq ft
10-20-07 The first phase of our expansion project was officially kicked off, as this past Saturday the squadron members voted to accept the generous grant from the Ed Rachal Foundation for the expansion project. The canopy roof is to be stripped of its metal, new insulation to be installed and new metal roofing is to top it off. A top quality roof for the museum is a must, and now we'll have one. After several bids were received, Oscar's Roofing Company of Alice was chosen for the work. The materials have been ordered with work to commence in approximately 10 days! Stay tuned.....
UPDATE 11-14-2007 NEWS FLASH!!! The roofing materials are in and work has commenced! Within a week..we will have our new roof in place as our museum expansion has begun! Then on to phase Two!
Close up look at cross beams and blown-in insulation
New panels going on..well insulated and NO leaks!
Roof completed 11-17-2007
FLASH!12-01-07 Bids are being solicited for the foundation work and a contractor for this phase should be chosen soon! 02-09-2008 Work on the down pipes and drains will commence next week. The drains must be properly sealed to ensure no back-up issues. Once completed, the foundation can be set and concrete poured. The time frame for the drain work should be completed in a few days, weather permitting.
Update! 2-19-08 The down drains, spouts and clean-outs have been completed and have been attached to the underground drainage system. Many thanks to the volunteers that helped accomplish this part of the project. Concrete bids are now in swing, and engineering specs almost completed for the foundation! Stay tuned......
UPDATE 4-2-08 The foundation bid is in and the plans are at City Hall awaiting approval and a permit! A huge THANK YOU to Dwight Johnson, Pearson Knolle and Airport Manager Charles Brazell for coordinating this very important aspect of the construction!
Update 4-8-2008 Still at City Planning while we impatiently wait!
F L A S H !!!!4-14-08 The City of Alice has APPROVED our construction plans. We will meet with the contractors in the next few days, and construction may start by the beginning of next week! STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES AND PICS!!
Construction Starts!!4-21-08 Foundation work began on Monday, April 21st! Weather permitting, our foundation should be completed within 7-10 days! PICS coming up!
4-28-08 update. Site work is completed. The City now has to inspect the site before the concrete pour. Inspection is due on Tuesday. Concrete will follow the next day.
5-6-08 Update. Things would not be normal if all went smoothly. Not big SNAFUs, but some changes were necessary to get to the pour stage! Concrete should be finally flowing on Wednesday morning(5-7-08),...if the rain gods allow it!
Lots of steel (Plastic is the moisture barrier)
and lots of steel
Makes for a GREAT FOUNDATION!
5-8-08 CONCRETE FOUNDATION has been poured! Many Thanks to Alamo Concrete, Industrial Pipe and Steel, and Haas Materials for their services, and of course to our "resident" Colonel Johnson, for being our contractor that oversees the action! Clean up continues, as forms will be removed on Thursday and final finishing on the slab will be done.....stay tuned!
5-19-2008 Foundation work has been completed, and the finished look is outstanding. All spoils and debris have been removed now, and phase three should commence within the next 2 weeks (walling in the building) Excitement continues to swell as we progress forward!
Concrete is poured level with existing slab, so when current outside doors are removed, there is a smooth transition.
Plastic is for "just in case it rains", since slab is level with existing museum until everything is closed in!
Col. Johnson says..Oh, so smoootthhh!
5-29-2008 The steel for the outer walls has been ordered and approx. 50% of the materials have arrived. The balance should be arriving in the next few days. As soon as all of the red iron arrives, erecting the structure will commence immediately! We are well on our way!!
FLASH UPDATE!6-1-2008 Steel is in and the framing is going up! Col. Dwight Johnson and crew are making it look easy...and believe me, it's not!
B4 stand works in construction too!
Around the corner
Not bad, as long as its shady!
Ann is having entirely too much fun!
Col. Dwight Johnson doing his thing!
Col. Tromm hard at it!
Looking Great! More to come.........
6-7-08 Another HOT day, that included wind, rain, lightning and more sun
Front end outer wall complete!
A view from inside
Securing the moisture barrier
Emergency exit door & overhead roll-up door will be near the end of the long wall.
6-10-08 West wall nearing completion, with emergency exit door and roll-up overhead door next on the agenda. Southwest end wall should be completed by Thursday...we hope. It's definitely looking A+!
Nearing the end
Can you say "Well Built"
West wall nears completion
Nice view from Airport Road
6-13-08 All exterior walls are now finished! The roll-up overhead door was installed today, courtesy of Col. Jim Moser and Col. Paul Emmons. Somebody told us the door wasn't heavy....they lied! Thank goodness for Wheaties and Gatorade, otherwise, it might still be on the floor! The emergency exit door is next on the agenda, and should be installed in the next few days! Thanks are in order to Randolph Door Company for allowing us to purchase the roll-up door at cost!
6-22-08 The emergency exit door has now been installed and the building is completed on the outside! Ideas are needed as to signage. Thanks to all of our volunteers that have helped in so many ways to get us to this point!
Looking good!
This will be our new entrance. It requires very little "cosmetic" work.
7-18-08 Col. Johnson, in his infinite wisdom, wisely thought to remove all existing sealant on the overhead gutter system, and has resealed each joint with a fiberglass based compound to further protect us from any future leaks! Again....GREAT JOB Dwight!
7-19-08 Our next phase will focus on the interior, with insulation, sheetrock, electrical and climate control systems let for bids. Stay tuned as we proceed on with this most important aspect of our addition!
8-07-08 Part of the museum expansion committee met today with the electrician and went over plans and details for our interior electrical needs. Preliminary drops and conduits will be installed in the next few days before the insulation and drywall goes up! Our many thanks to Wade Foster for heading up this phase!
Remembering our History
as we build for the Future!
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