All architectural work has been completed. The required drawings
for the observatory project have been created. The start of construction of the
observatory will begin as soon as all of the necessary approvals and permits
are obtained. All of the city, county and state hurdles have been handled. The
reaming hurdles are at the university. We have been recently informed that it
will be necessary to put together a bid package for a competitive procurement
of the observatory structure. A mandatory meeting for prospective bidders
occurred on June 21, 2002 at the Greenway Nature Center at 8:30 AM. All hurdles
to start construction have been cleared. A purchase order to start the
construction of the observatory structure with the winning contractor,
Industrial Constructors/ Managers (ICM), has been issued on June 24, 2002.
Construction will begin with the grading of an approach up the mesa on which
the observatory will reside. Construction is expected to take from 30 to 60
days. This will result in having the observatory completed by the end of
November 2002.
July 11,
2002
The pad with the central
pedestal
A power trench near the top of the
mesa
Worker and Observatory