OHL Building provided design-build services for the following plazas:
Pompano Beach and Okahumpka
These plazas have new 11,500 square foot (SF) convenience stores, fuel canopies and fuel farms, truck parking areas, impound lots, and various site/utility improvements. Contaminants at the existing facilities were assessed and remediated prior to construction of the new structures.
West Palm Beach, Canoe Creek and Turkey Lake
Work at these plazas includes phased renovations of the existing restaurant buildings, construction of new 3,500 SF convenience stores, new fuel canopies and expansion of existing fuel farms. OHL Building also constructed impound lots, resurfaced parking areas, and built site/utility improvements. Contamination remediation and the removal of an existing contamination remediation system were required.
Fort Pierce and Fort Drum
These plazas include new 40,000 SF restaurant buildings, 3,500 SF convenience stores, new fuel canopies, fuel farm expansions, and complete site rebuilds. Contamination remediation was required. The Fort Drum plaza also includes a new water and waste water treatment plant.
Benefits for society
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is a customer-driven organization that offers continuously expanding and evolving transportation products and services to ensure customer satisfaction. Eight service plazas are conveniently located approximately 45 miles apart along the Turnpike. Each has undergone major improvements, such as larger lobby areas, more food and merchandise offerings, and expanded restroom facilities. Also, many plazas have obtained Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver and Gold certification in recognition of their energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. The expanded services have increased traveler duration at the plazas by 300 %.
Solar Energy
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise envisions using solar energy to potentially supplement energy needs of its service plazas. The Turkey Lake Service Plaza was selected for a case study to determine the feasibility of this initiative. A 112 kilowatt solar array (468 panels) was installed at the service plaza where the power generated currently provides the majority of electricity to run the convenience store. This solar array is a research project that will help determine the viability of future solar usage. In addition, wireless internet is currently available at the following service plazas: Okahumpka, Turkey Lake, Canoe Creek, Fort Drum, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, West Palm Beach, and Pompano Beach.
