A water tower -- and 480 days of construction -- are coming to south Lacey
Lacey City Council awarded an $8.45 million construction contract on Thursday to build the Terry Cargil reservoir.
But this “reservoir” is no man-made lake. It’s a 1.25 million-gallon water tower. A schematic drawing of the tower shows it might stand as high as 130 feet and have a diameter of about 80 feet at the top.
The project location is 4504 B Intelco Loop SE, which means the tower will overlook the Lacey Corporate Center. It also will be located just west of the historic Jacob Smith House, the oldest residence in the city.
Construction begins in May and is expected to last 480 days or until late 2024, said Puna Clarke, a utility engineer working on the project.
City officials say the reservoir will provide additional water capacity and “fire flow,” or the water needed for fighting fires.
After a rendering of the tower was revealed to the council, Councilwoman Carolyn Cox instantly reacted to the image, saying it looks like it’s really going to change the area.
“Is there anything in the plan to soften the impact?” she asked.
Mayor Andy Ryder said art and paint were considered, but the cost was high.
Utility engineer Clarke said the Lacey City Council utilities committee weighed art and murals and other options to help it blend in, but decided to wait and make aesthetic changes later.
“We’re going to hope for the best and see what it looks like and then we’ll come back and make a decision, especially if people out there are complaining about it,” Ryder said. “So far we will keep our fingers crossed.”
Two companies bid on the project. The winning bidder was Phoenix Fabricators & Erectors of Avon, Indiana.
Councilman Michael Steadman abstained from voting because he said he owns property in the area. City Attorney Dave Schneider said there was likely no conflict of interest.
“If he is more comfortable abstaining, it’s perfectly appropriate,” he said.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
