A gigantic 290HC Liebherr tower crane is proving indispensable as construction crews build a new Archives and History Building in Jackson, MS.
The crane, which has become a familiar sight against Jackson’s skyline, has a jib with a 229-ft. (69.8 m) reach and a 130 ft. (396. m) hook height.
While it isn’t the largest size crane in existence, it is a “good-sized crane,” said M.R. Rosenblum, senior projects manager for W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., the Jackson firm, which was awarded the construction bid.
The company also is using a crawler crane, a Link-Belt Speeder 108. Other heavy equipment, according to Rosenblum, includes standard dirt moving equipment ranging from trackhoes and rubber tired backhoes to dozers and loaders.
Rosenblum said the Liebherr crane was leased from a company in Dallas, TX, and brought to Mississippi by truck.
As with any other construction project, there are challenges. “The site is completely filled with buildings and parking lots,” said Rosenblum describing a few of the challenges.
He added, “The site is very steep, sloping 43 ft. from the west side to the east side.”
“It is an extremely complicated project and only two years in which to build it,” said Rosenblum.
Elbert Hilliard, director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, said the need for a new archives building was first identified in 1982 in a report from the State Historical Records Advisory Board.
The building is being constructed at the corner of North and Amite streets near the Old Capitol Museum and the current Archives and History Building. Also nearby is the Mississippi Department of Agriculture, which was built several years ago, and the Mississippi Coliseum.
Hilliard and other officials participated in a groundbreaking March 21, 2000, for the building. Construction time is expected to be about two years.
The Department of Archives and History holds archival records relating to Mississippi’s history. Holdings include everything from European colonial exploration of the southeastern part of North America to the present and include paper, microfilms, photographic, magnetic, motion picture and other types of media. “Mississippi has the second oldest archives and history department in the nation,” said Hilliard.
Rob Farr II, who is with the architectural firm of Cook Douglass Farr Lemons Ltd., is the principal architect in charge for ECD. He said there are two buildings at the site.
“The main building is five stories with a sub-basement. The second building is the mechanical plant that will serve the two-block area and accommodate future state buildings,” said Farr.
He added, “The most interesting thing about the building is the environmental control system for the archives. The archives has very demanding control requirements. The system is very complex and will keep the archives in a narrow band with regards to both temperature and humidity.
“The sub-basement will house the air systems that control the humidity and the temperature. They are very sophisticated. The dehumidification is very important, as are the filtration systems,” said Farr.
He added, “The building will serve Mississippi well into the next century with a high quality design and center.”
Construction Superintendent Charlie Davis said about 75 people are working at the site during normal working hours Monday through Friday.
The first two floors of the archives building will be for archival storage, the third floor will be a processing area for archives, the fourth floor will house an archivist work area and the fifth floor will have offices for the Department of Archives and History.
Money for the project was appropriated by the 1998 Mississippi Legislature. “Through funding the project, the legislature has once again formally acknowledged the state’s responsibility for the preservation of its documentary heritage,” said Hilliard.
Hilliard said Mississippi had outgrown its current archives building. He called the storage problem “especially critical,” because Mississippi is losing valuable and significant collections to other states whose institutions have room to house them.
“The new storage space will offer temperature/humidity conditions that are necessary for the preservation of artifacts, but are impossible to achieve in the Old Capitol,” said Hilliard.
Hilliard said the department’s archaeological collection, most of which is kept in leased storage, will be moved to the renovated Capers Building.
“The new building will be state of the art and will provide more than adequate space for the archival collections and staff. We are planning for a period of 20 years, but we expect that by taking advantage of new technologies as they are developed, we will be able to use the building for many decades to come,” added Hilliard.
Hilliard said the new archives and history building will provide:
• In reading rooms: research space for at least 140 people, nearly four times the current space; an atmosphere that is less crowded, quieter and more conducive to research; easier access to non-archival collections. Researchers can browse and retrieve items for themselves in the Public Reading Room and Microform Reading Room, including about 25,000 volumes of published works and approximately 30,000 rolls of microfilm. It also will provide greater security for archival materials and Mississippi information.
• In other public areas: a spacious lobby with a comfortable sitting area; public meeting rooms, more lockers, larger rest rooms and vending machines.
• In processing and storage areas: more space to process and store new acquisitions; an improved environmental system and facilities for the preservation and use of audiovisual materials and electronic records.
Founded in Philadelphia, MS, in 1963, W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co. is among the leaders in the construction industry. Their capabilities include general contracting, construction management and design/build general construction. The company has branch offices in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Louisiana and Florida.
In 1999, Yates merged with Tupelo, MS-based Jesco Inc. and-its sister firm, Blaine Construction Co. of Knoxville. The combined companies employ more than 2,000 persons.
The company’s philosophy is best summed up in the words of the late William G. Yates Jr., president and co-founder. “We try to develop relationships with our clients and provide them with a job well done. Basically, we measure our success by the number of satisfied customers we have,” he said.
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