“Quality comes from the heart.”

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been a builder – from soap box cars to the sailboat I built when I was 16. It’s in my blood.

Today, I look back on a 28-year career full of memorable landmarks. I’ve built beautiful schools, parks, libraries, retail stores and banks, and every project I’ve ever worked on has a special place in my memory. But Fairgrounds Park in Loveland was a special challenge – with a very special reward.

Fairgrounds Park: Built to withstand a 100-year flood.

In terms of construction, the Fairgrounds project was really four projects in one. Visit the park today, and you’ll see ball fields, playgrounds, farmers’ markets and more than 40 acres of beautiful landscape and parking facilities.

Now, if you’ll look closely at this photograph, you’ll see our biggest challenge – The Big Thompson River. Our crew worked in the river bed throughout the winter of 2007-8 to build those graceful walkways on the riverfront and the massive infrastructure beneath them.

We built two dams and diverted the Big Thompson River for four months, when it normally runs low. Working against the clock in one of the most severe winters in recent years, we constructed enormous concrete footings four feet below the lowest point in the river. On that foundation we built the terrace walls and retaining walls you see in this photograph. Only small portions are visible above the shoreline. Those walls are actually up to 18 feet tall.

Heath crews did all of the structural concrete work – and they were heroic! By the time the spring runoff had begun and big water returned to the river, we were up on the shore, right on schedule, turning our attention to the final stages of the project.

Every project is gratifying, and this is particularly true about projects that improve life for everyone in our community. Fairgrounds Park stands out because it’s such a jewel for the City of Loveland.

>> Read why Heath’s work at Fairgrounds Park was awarded the 2008 AGC Silver Award for an exceptionally challenging project…

John Raycraft
Superintendent
Employee Owner