The City of East Point, Georgia Wherever you look… or even where you don’t… in the City of East Point, you’ll find Prime Engineering’s handiwork. The Downtown Pedestrian Bridge, the streets on which those motorists drive, and even the sewers beneath their wheels are tangible results of Prime's eight years of service to this rapidly growing, vibrant community. Since 1997, Prime has held an open-ended engineering contract with the City of East Point and performed more than 92 projects. Located just ten minutes from downtown Atlanta and only seven minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the City of East Point is a model of urban revitalization. Downtown, East Point’s historic hub, is the product of significant investment from both the public and private sectors. The City’s Master Town Plan, meticulously developed and adopted as guidelines for growth and development, mandates careful balancing of residential projects with commercial and retail establishments while at the same time maintaining the area’s historic atmosphere. In short, East Point officials are committed to avoiding sprawl and maintaining civic beauty through a plan for controlled, “smart” growth. In choosing Prime Engineering, East Point retains a long-term partner that is fully dedicated to the city’s vision. The following success stories highlight the myriad design and engineering services Prime has contributed to the City. Success Story: Downtown Pedestrian Bridge In late November 2000, the City approached Prime to expedite and facilitate the engineering, permitting, and construction of a new 210-foot-long, eight-foot-wide pedestrian bridge intended to link two downtown areas separated by MARTA lines and four active rail lines. Bridge construction was important to accommodate pedestrian safety and to augment the City’s Beautification Program. Therefore, the bridge project received funding from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and a GDOT sidewalk program. This grant funding required design completion by March 2001. Prior to Prime’s involvement, the bridge had not advanced past the conceptual design phase due to a number of obstacles: significant permitting issues; technical, scheduling, phasing, budget, and project coordination challenges. Prime assumed control of the project and immediately launched a fast-track delivery mode to furnish full-service surveying, engineering, and project management for bridge design and construction. Prime involved CSX, Norfolk-Southern, MARTA, and the Georgia Department of Transportation early in the design phase and maintained their commitment to the project in order to expedite permitting and overcome the project’s various challenges. Simultaneously with the alliance-building process, Prime orchestrated and oversaw the execution of a comprehensive work plan that enabled the bridge to be designed in 30 days, permitted in less than three months, and constructed and completed over a nine-month period. Construction began in May 2001, was completed in November 2001, and the bridge opened to pedestrian traffic in December 2001. The final construction cost was $2.2 million. Prime not only met all requirements for project grant funding, but helped secure additional project funding. The bridge is now a significant City landmark and a symbol of the City’s revitalization.       "The enthusiam exhibited by Mr. Gambino and his staff throughout the process was contagious. They kept the vision of the completed bridge clear in City officials' minds when the bridge was nothing more than a set of pilings - and assisted the City in building public awareness over the project. …Prime assisted the City in securing additional project funding sources. Prime staff's commitment to the project throughout every phase was evident." Erica Rocker Main Street Coordinato, Economic Development City of East Point, Georgia   Success Story: Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Study (SSES) When the City of East Point’s Department of Public Utilities needed to conduct a thorough evaluation of its sanitary sewer system infrastructure, it called on Prime. Prime inventoried, assessed, and delivered necessary information to allow the city to better address issues with the sanitary sewer collection system. Prime identified maintenance issues and suggested means to improve the overall performance of the collection system – a challenge when faced with an infrastructure composed of nearly 152 miles of sanitary sewer lines. Using three inspection teams, Prime Engineering located, inspected, and mapped sanitary manholes located within the City. From this information, a comprehensive GIS database was created, which allowed the Department of Public Utilities to maintain its system more efficiently while simultaneously providing a tool the City can use to assess future capacity requirements. The GIS database allows the City to move forward with further evaluation and analysis of their system.     “I have found that Prime’s final construction documents are complete and of notably good quality and cost estimates are conservative yet realistic...We have come to depend on the insights and knowledge of your staff regarding permitting issues… hands-on involvement with every step of the permitting process has pushed through projects that typically get caught up in permitting tie-ups.” Derek Bogan Former Director of Public Works City of East Point, Georgia