Behind the Build: August 2003
Welcome to the first post in our Behind the Build series, where we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Trails Recreation Center by taking you month-by-month through the construction process that began in 2003. In this post, we kick off with the challenges and progress of August 2003—a month that started with delays but ended with key milestones!
A Rocky Start with Piney Creek
Originally, construction was scheduled to start on June 2, 2003, but plans were quickly upended due to delays with the Arapahoe County/Urban Drainage Piney Creek Stabilization Project. This project was crucial, as the land around Piney Creek needed to be stabilized before work on the Trails Rec Center site could begin. Complications, such as the late acquisition of the 404 permit from the Corps of Engineers, set things back even further.
To regain some control over the timeline, Arapahoe Park and Recreation District (APRD, now called Trails Park and Recreation District) negotiated with the county to take on the bank stabilization work along the frontage of the rec center site. Although the permit was finally secured on July 23, 2003, it came with an unexpected hurdle: a condition protecting the migratory swallows nesting in the nearby mud banks. Per the permit, no earthwork could take place on the bank areas until the swallows finished their nesting season on August 15.
Turning the Corner
Though this created a three-week delay in critical construction activities, work didn’t come to a complete halt. Site preparation began on other fronts, including foundation work, storm sewer installation, and rebar placement. Once the swallows had flown the coop, full-scale bank stabilization efforts finally commenced on August 15, and things began progressing smoothly from there.
Laying the Foundation
Despite the early setbacks, August 2003 still saw a lot of forward momentum. Concrete pumping for the foundations was in full swing, with foundation forming and rebar placement well underway. Alongside these efforts, storm sewer installation and the all-important bank stabilization continued on schedule, ensuring the site was prepped for the busy months ahead.
While August 2003 may have started with delays, it laid the groundwork—literally and figuratively—for the exciting progress that would follow. Stay tuned for next month’s installment of Behind the Build as we continue our journey through the construction of the Trails Recreation Center!
A Glimpse at the Trails Time Capsule: August 2003
