Brasfield & Gorrie Helps ‘Groundbreaking Ideas Take Root’
By Cindy Riley
CORRESPONDENT
Designed to foster creativity and growth, the Wiregrass Innovation Center in Dothan, Ala., is a transformative project that will create new opportunities for the entire region. When completed early next year, it’s expected to generate new jobs and economic opportunities.
“The Wiregrass Innovation Center will serve as a dynamic hub for hands-on training, cutting-edge research and collaboration in agricultural technology, genomics and scientific innovation,” said Dean Mitchell, director of HudsonAlpha Wiregrass. “Located on the George Washington Carver Research Campus, it will provide a nurturing environment for entrepreneurs and innovators to accelerate their ventures, while creating meaningful job opportunities for the local community.
“It will be a place where groundbreaking ideas take root,” he added. “As a beacon of progress, the Wiregrass Innovation Center will empower visionaries to shape the future of the Wiregrass region and beyond.”
HudsonAlpha Wiregrass will serve as an anchor tenant. Funding for the project has been provided by the State of Alabama, Wiregrass Foundation and the city of Dothan.
The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit organization located in Huntsville, committed to translating groundbreaking scientific discoveries into real-world solutions that advance health, agriculture, education and commercialization.
“Since its founding in 2008, HudsonAlpha has harnessed the power of genomic science to drive innovation across medicine, research, and economic development, ultimately improving lives worldwide. Now, through a partnership with the city of Dothan, HudsonAlpha is bringing its proven model of success from north Alabama to the Wiregrass region, fostering a new era of discovery, collaboration and progress in biotechnology.”
In May 2024, more than 400 community, business and political leaders from local, regional and state levels gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony. Gov. Kay Ivey, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba and Wiregrass Foundation President Troy Fountain were among those who delivered remarks, highlighting the impact the project will have on the area.
“We are thrilled to help bring a state-of-the-art research and innovation center to Dothan, which is the heart of the Wiregrass,” said Mitchell. “By welcoming entrepreneurs from across the local, state, national and international landscapes, this center will become a premier destination for innovation.”
Birmingham-based Brasfield & Gorrie was selected as the contractor for the $38 million project.
“They’re a recognized leader in both state and national
construction projects, with a proven track record of delivering excellence,” said Mitchell. “They are currently involved in several initiatives in downtown Dothan and have also done a lot of work on the HudsonAlpha campus in Huntsville.
“Brasfield and Gorrie is known for its steadfast commitment to fostering community growth, both in revitalizing urban spaces and expanding infrastructure,” he added. “Their expertise and dedication have made them a trusted partner in building the future of local communities.”
According to Brasfield & Gorrie senior project manager Justin Lomax, crews are building a mass timber structure with a delegated design for cross laminated timbers and connections.
“This is a relatively new product type, which presents challenges in coordinating with other trades,” he said. “Getting to build on Brasfield & Gorrie’s previous experience with this product type has been an educational and fun experience.
“We’re also working beside an existing art museum. They had very specific vibration monitoring criteria, which we had to be strategic and
on what
and type of equipment was
Mobile Officials Receive $237M Bid to Build New Arena
City officials in Mobile, Ala. celebrated Feb. 14, 2025, after bids for a new Civic Center arena came in slightly beneath their budget ceiling.
“It’s come in a little under budget, and that’s very gratifying,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson told Al.com after the bid opening. “It’s a good way to end a Friday afternoon and it’s a good way to start Mardi Gras: to tell all of our revelers that, yes, we’re going to build an arena.”
Last year, Stimpson announced Mobile’s plan to demolish the existing civic center and replace it with a brand-new arena. The new facility is meant to be able to accommodate sporting events, Mardi Gras balls and concerts.
Three construction companies submitted bids to build the new arena; the presumed low bid came from B.L. Harbert International, a contractor based in Birmingham, Ala. The winning offer came in at $240 million and, after adding in alternates (optional extras not necessary for construction) and subtracting the offered deductions, the builder’s bid totaled approximately $237 million.
According to Al.com, that figure is below the basis of $255 million, or the target budget that the city set for the new arena’s construction.
But Stimpson cautioned that the final number and contract are not yet official.
The Mobile City Council has reviewed the contract for the first time, while the city and B.L. Harbert finalized the project’s details.
The contract is likely to be approved by the city council at its Feb. 25, 2025 meeting.
Two other building firms, Birmingham’s Hoar Construction and Jesco Inc., of Mobile, also submitted bids for the arena project.
The total cost of the effort — including the building’s demolition — should not exceed $300 million, noted Al.com.
Up to 56 percent of the cost to construct the new arena could be borrowed and is the first major financing project the city has undertaken since Stimpson took office in 2013.
He said that even though the construction costs are slightly below what the city budgeted, Mobile is still likely to borrow the same amount so as not to draw down more of the city’s funds than necessary.
“We want to conserve as much cash as the city has … just out of prudence,” Stimpson said. “If you borrow another $5 million on the bond issue, that’s not that big of a deal due to the size of the bond issue. Five million dollars [in] cash may come in handy somewhere over the next number of years.”
Arena Important to MobileÊs Mardi Gras Celebrations
Because the construction bids are on tar-
get, Mobile can now move forward with its ambitious timeline for building the new arena.
Stimpson said the city expects to go to the bond market on March 5, 2025, while adding that construction could be authorized on March 12, 2025, just eight days after this year’s Mardi Gras celebrations end.
The timeline is meant to keep costs low, Stimpson previously told Al.com, as well as to minimize the disruption to Mardi Gras. The mayor has pledged that the civic center construction will only disrupt celebrations for two years.
The new arena is currently slated to open in 2027, in time for that year’s Carnival celebration.
In the meantime, the efforts to raze the old civic center began last fall and are proceeding on schedule. The demolition is anticipated to cost around $5.7 million, including the price tag for preserving the murals that previously hung in the arena lobby.
In Jan. 2025, record-breaking snowfall caused the dome roof of the old civic center to collapse. However, the cave-in did not hinder ongoing demolition, which should be completed in March 2025.
City of Mobile rendering/photo
City officials in Mobile, Ala. celebrated Feb. 14 after bids for a new Civic Center arena came in slightly beneath their budget ceiling.
THO O PSO MPSON T M ON O
TOR TRA TRACTOR AC A RA TO O ORR: R
R BE E EA REA N EYON Y YO V AL T ND TH D H L A VA R E
HE PR HE P LU ALU E RI RICE T CE ICE IC C T ALLUE UE A AG TAG TAG:
R
REAL
E RE L AL SU L S SUUPP PPPOR PORRT.
At Thomp over its li than a dis pson Tractor, we know fetime. With a lower scount—we deliver re w the true cost of eq cost per hour, expert esults. uipment isn’t just the t support, and unmat e price—it’s the valu tched reliability, we d ue it delivers deliver more
READY TO PUT REEAL VALUE T TO WORK?
Flooding Among Challenges at New Innovation Site
INNOVATION from page 1
Currently, crews are in the preliminary stages of mass timber erection. Other miscellaneous site activities are ongoing as well. All major utilities, foundations and slab on grade have been completed. Stair towers and the stairs themselves have been installed.
“The building structure will be complete by the end of the first quarter,” said Lomax. “After that, our focus for the nearterm will shift to getting the building dried in and all MEP systems online.”
Lomax noted that, as with most research facilities, innovation centers tend to have large, sophisticated MEP systems with redundant HVAC systems and emergency power to ensure that lab spaces are kept within very tight temperature and humidity set points.
“This building will house many labs that will all have their own temperature and humidity requirements. We must maintain strong communication with the end-user to understand these requirements and with the subcontractors to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch.
A significant portion of the site was a parking lot, along with a small park with a local monument. The monument will be relocated to the new city hall, once it’s built. Workers had to eliminate the existing park sidewalks and benches.
The main demolition focused on a large storage tank underground, estimated to have been capable of holding a million gallons of cooling water for the old Dothan Coal Power plant. Due to the extensive amount of unsuitable soils within the tank, it had to be completely excavated and backfilled with engineered fill.
In addition, the existing site struggled with frequent flooding. As part of the project, the city invested heavily in upgrading the stormwater system.
The site previously housed another building that was torn down sometime in the 1900s, and crews found multiple
structures and footings ranging from deep foundations to abandoned storm structures that required removal.
As for the weather, said Lomax, “We had a one-week delay because of a hurricane. Being only two hours from the beach, we are vulnerable to changing weather patterns. Recently, we’ve been affected by cold conditions, which is not very common for construction in this part of the country.
“Once temperatures reach a certain point, things such as asphalt, waterproofing and paints cannot be installed due to the inability to adhere in the cold. However, we’ve planned our work to account for lost time.”
Approximately 25,000 cu. yds. of dirt have been moved on the project. To build the new terminal, the site subcontractor has used two excavators, one dozer and a front-end loader on site through the duration of demo and mass grading. For the concrete structure, crews have relied on excavators, forklifts, concrete pump trucks and rough-terrain cranes.
Lomax said it’s fulfilling to build a place where advancements are made that not only benefit Dothan and Alabama, but the rest of the country, as well.
“We know in the future, when we see articles about research that was conducted at this facility, we’ll have a sense of pride in making that possible.”
Mitchell said the success of HudsonAlpha in Huntsville has garnered widespread recognition, and people are eager to
be part of the promising future unfolding in Southeast Alabama.
“We’ve already hosted companies from local, national and international sectors, and the growing interest in the opportunities that the Wiregrass Innovation Center will offer is a testament to the region’s expanding potential. The momentum is building, and the future is bright for innovation in the Wiregrass.
“What’s most exciting will be witnessing the growth of entrepreneurs, students gaining hands-on experience in DNA science and exploring careers in biotechnology and seeing world-class research that will improve lives. From the Wiregrass to the world, the Wiregrass Innovation Center will serve as a gateway to success and innovation.” CEG (All photos courtesy of Brasfield & Gorrie.)
Case CE, Stone Equipment Partner to Strengthen Dealer Network
Case Construction Equipment welcomes Stone Equipment to the Case dealer family to bring the full line of Case equipment, attachments, service, parts and financing options to customers in central and northern Alabama. Stone Equipment will operate as Case Power & Equipment of Alabama with initial locations in Birmingham and Montgomery and plans to open additional Alabama locations in the near future.
“Our business is built on a steadfast commitment to moving the equipment industry forward through outstanding customer service and reliable support,” said Doug Stone, the CEO of Stone Equipment and Case Power & Equipment of Alabama. “By partnering with Case and representing the Case brand in our dealership name — a trusted brand that shares our dedication to these principles — we’re able to grow our business in Alabama while also enhancing the quality and care we deliver to every customer.”
Founded in 2010, Stone Equipment serves customers throughout the southeastern United States by delivering superior customer service
and supplying a full range of high-quality heavy machinery for aggregate, demolition, environmental and construction applications.
Stone Equipment became an official Case dealer in late 2024. Its Alabama locations operating as Case Power & Equipment of Alabama will support customers with the full range of Case machinery and attachments, service, technology and financing. Stone Equipment’s other locations outside of Alabama will continue operating as Stone Equipment, offering other heavy equipment brands.
“Stone Equipment has built a 15-year legacy of reliability, hard work and excellent customer service in the heavy equipment industry. We’re proud to welcome Doug Stone and his team to the Case family,” said Terry Dolan, vice president — North America, Case Construction Equipment. “We’re looking forward to working together to offer smooth, swift, smart machines from Case so more crews and contractors in northern Alabama can succeed on the job.”
For more information, visit CasePowerEquipAL.com and casece.com.
When completed, the Wiregrass Innovation Center will serve as a dynamic hub for hands-on training, cutting-edge research and collaboration in agricultural technology, genomics and scientific innovation.
Case Construction Equipment photo Stone Equipment will operate as Case Power & Equipment of Alabama with locations in Birmingham and Montgomery, serving customers in central and northern Alabama with the full line of Case equipment, attachments, service, parts and financing options.
T THROOTTLE UP E
