Surprise, AZ

City of Surprise Public Works Operations Facility

Client: Surprise Public Works Department
Our Role: Civil, Structural, Industrial Design Engineering

The Surprise Public Works Department in Arizona had passed the point of having sufficient space for maintenance, storage, and operations. Its facilities were crowded and over-programmed, needed more room to expand to accommodate growth, and were spread across multiple sites, creating efficiency and safety concerns.

The street maintenance division required more space for specialized equipment and training to maintain the city’s infrastructure. The vehicle maintenance division’s manufactured metal building was in constant disrepair. It housed only six vehicle repair and maintenance bays, well below the 11 required of a division its size.

GFT provided maintenance facility consultant services under a design-build contract, including civil, structural, and industrial design engineering services. The new 42,000-square-foot operations facility consolidates multiple public works services on 14 acres, including:

Solid waste.
Street maintenance.
Fleet maintenance.
Traffic signal maintenance.

The Department of Water Resource Management is located nearby, bringing all satellite public works operations together to create a cohesive, sustainable campus. The facility accommodates current needs and anticipated growth for the next 25 years.

The former solid waste and street maintenance division facility has been renovated to house the Public Safety Evidence and Readiness Center. The center will support the police and fire-medical departments’ tactical and emergency equipment storage to promote efficient responses. The former police property and evidence facility has become a training facility that fulfills training mandates for Surprise’s growing police force.

Site support facilities include three vehicle wash pads, solid waste staging areas, and ample space for parking and circulation. The main building also has training, break, and locker rooms to promote employee comfort and safety.

Key Features

14 vehicle maintenance bays.
Space for tool and equipment maintenance and repair.
Vehicle wash and fueling station.
Space for parking and circulation.
Rooms for training, lockers, and breaks.

Outcomes

Consolidating public works operations fosters efficiencies in street maintenance, trash and recycling collection, traffic signal operations, and citywide fleet operations.
The facility provides public operations workers with tools and training to meet the community’s needs.
The expanded infrastructure enhances the police department’s ability to conduct scenario-based training to protect the public.
Vacating the former public works facility creates the opportunity to repurpose the space for police equipment and evidence storage.
The facility will accommodate anticipated growth over the next 25 years.