Sioux City Projects Require
Careful Design Coordination

Three downtown Sioux City projects were located in the City’s reinvestment district. The district received financial assistance from the state for these type of improvements. Projects included were the following: the expansion of the existing convention center, construction of a 150-room hotel, as well as construction of a 140-space parking deck. DGR Engineering (DGR) worked under the project architect, Ramaker and Associates, for the convention center addition and proposed hotel. DGR worked for the City on the parking deck project. The parking project also included sidewalk reconstruction and driveways within the City right-of-way to allow for the proposed parking deck being designed by Ramaker and Associates.

Project site area consisted of two existing City-owned surface-grade parking lots at two different levels that served the convention center, as well as the City’s Historic 4th Street and Promenade areas. The proposed design included construction of a hotel that would be connected to the convention center, convention center addition, patio areas, limited on-grade parking, as well as a new parking deck to provide parking for hotel guests and 4th Street visitors.

The existing parking lot had public water main, storm and sanitary sewers that were in conflict with the proposed new building footprint. These were relocated to Virginia Street, which required increasing storm sewer sizing per design models. This larger size would allow for the increased distance of proposed system, where little elevation existed within the system.
Placement of the proposed hotel and driveways were based upon simulated truck movements to maintain usage of the existing convention center truck docks off Virginia Street. Portions of 4th Street and Virginia Street were reconstructed to accommodate the proposed hotel.

Elevation constraints of the proposed site (30 feet of elevation difference across the site) and matching the existing elevation of the convention center wouldn’t allow for the typical common main level finished floor elevation of the proposed hotel. Exterior elevation at doorways were variable to account for drainage and ADA accessibility, which required coordination with the project architect to construct interior ramps and a finished floor with several different elevations within the hotel.

The projects also required vacating half a block of alley to gain site area and access between the hotel and parking deck. Alley vacation required coordination with private utility owners for relocation of infrastructure.
DGR worked with a Landscape Architect to finish the area with plants and landscape boulders. Retaining walls and the parking deck structure were used to break up the elevation and create more usable site area.

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