When the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) faced a complicated parking and traffic issue with a very tight deadline at one of its middle schools, the call went out and Team Elmer’s answered.

For years, Traverse City West Middle School had experienced issues in and around its parking and entry/exit areas. The flow was confusing, crosswalks seemed to be amidst heavy car traffic, and buses backed up onto a nearby road – all while the region’s traffic and student population continued to increase.

An improvement project was eventually funded through TCAPS’ millage renewal approved by the community in 2007, and officials got the final go-ahead in the summer of 2009, leaving just seven weeks to complete the complicated project before school was back in session.

The initial priority was to study and design the ideal site development plan, which was completed by TCAPS and Gosling Czubak (engineers).

Once awarded the job through the public competitive bid process, Team Elmer’s quickly deployed a large team of operators and heavy equipment to tackle the project.

Team Elmer’s then cleared the site and prepared it for rebuilding, a project that eventually included replacement of the main driveway, new roads to the sports area, a repaved bus drive, all-new parking areas, a stormwater retention system, a crosswalk, improved storm sewers and electrical, and a new traffic signal at the main entrance.

All told, Team Elmer’s moved more than 40,000 cubic yards of dirt, installed more than two miles of curbs and gutters, restored five acres of property – and finished the job with weeks to spare before the September school bell rang.

Paul Mahon, TCAPS Director of Capital Projects, said, “Team Elmer's did an amazing job -- the right equipment every step of the way, hit the ground running, brought their A game, and met every single deadline, no matter how unrealistic. We couldn't have done it without Elmer's.”

Contact: Robert Verschaeve (231) 946-9191
Date Completed: 9/1/2009
Self-Performed: 80%