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Prefabricated sections put into place, but finishing touches on downtown project won't be complete until Thanksgiving. Date published: 4/9/2005 By ELIZABETH PEZZULLO Where there was a gaping dirt hole at the corner of Sophia and Wolfe streets five days ago, there now stands a parking deck well on its way to completion. "If you've been gone a week and just returned, Sophia Street looks a lot different," said Fredericksburg City Manager Phillip Rodenberg. Construction of the $5.8 million, 300-space garage is right on schedule and should be open by Thanksgiving, said Beverly Cameron, assistant city manager. The city also spent $800,000 to reimburse deck builder Donley's Inc., of Ohio, for two parcels along Caroline Street needed to build the garage. With a few key strokes on his computer at City Hall, Cameron keeps an eye on the construction site, which is outfitted with a Webcam. "Donley's has done an excellent job of putting together a great team of people," Cameron said. Residents have likely noticed a big change to the downtown corner as well. After months of site preparation, a towering crane rolled into town last Saturday, poised to move prefabricated walls, beams and floors into place. A few days ago, heavy structural sections of the parking deck were hauled in from Petersburg on a flat-bed tractor-trailer. Once complete, the deck will comprise 220 prefab components. The deck will have a brick and stone facade, which will be one of the most time consuming parts of the project. In July, the city signed a contract with Donley's and architectural firm Wisnewski Blair & Associates of Alexandria to build the three-story, four-level deck. Proceeds from an existing local gas tax and garage parking fees will pay for the project. For months last spring, a task force of residents, architects and city officials hashed out a design for the deck. Residents wanted to be sure the parking deck will mesh with the historic surroundings of lower Sophia Street, a block from the Rappahannock River. The final design resembles an 18th-century-style warehouse reminiscent of Fredericksburg's industrial and maritime past. The cut-stone and brick structure will have a partially gabled roof and small windows. The lot will be accessible from Wolfe Street, with another entrance off Sophia Street. To reach ELIZABETH PEZZULLO: 540/374-5421 epezzullo@freelancestar.com
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