SARASOTA, Fla. – Commercial construction company Halfacre Construction Company recently completed the new 139-foot-high Sarasota Bradenton International Airport tower.
The head of the construction portion of the project, Halfacre Construction Company began the project in November 2015, which was a job generator with economic benefits, says Halfacre Construction Company owner Jack Cox.
“The work required about 30 contractors and more than 100 construction workers,” said Cox. “The final cost, including design, construction and equipment, totaled around $25 million. The new tower is equipped with the latest aviation technology, giving air traffic controllers more precise, system-wide information about weather and flight data.”
The glass for the tower was flown into place with a crane and a hydraulic vacuum lifter, a specialized piece of equipment designed to lift and place heavy and outsized shapes. It was installed and mechanically retained in a customized curtain wall frame around the perimeter of the cab at a 15-degree angle, pitched toward the runway.
Each large and custom glass piece from Key Glass, LLC is approximately 125 inches across at the top by 108 inches at the bottom by 98 inches tall and weighs about 1,560 pounds. Each one is laminated and comprised of three pieces of ultra clear low-iron half inch annealed glass in a trapezoidal shape.
Halfacre Construction Company turned over the tower to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, which will now work with The Federal Aviation Administration to commission the new facility. The tower is anticipated to be operational by summer 2018.
About Halfacre Construction Company
As the area’s oldest, most established, locally owned and operated private commercial construction company, Halfacre’s foundational strengths stand as evidence that its commercial and industrial construction projects will be delivered on time, within budget, with the utmost integrity and with the expertise and financial strength needed for success. Halfacre Construction also offers its expertise as a green building provider with the resources available to build viable, effective alternatives to reduce energy consumption and preserve natural resources. Staff includes U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certified professionals who have demonstrated proficiency in green building practices and who possess a thorough grasp of the LEED Green Building Rating System. Halfacre President Jack Cox serves as president of the Suncoast Charities for Children and vice president of the Argus Foundation. For more information, please visit www.HalfacreConstruction.com.