Branson Public Works moves into unique tower space

VanGilder said that although other communities such as Fort Worth, Texas, have utilized water tower columns, Branson is the first to do so in Missouri as far as he knows. He got the idea for the unique office space at a time when the Public Works department was running out of room at Branson City Hall.

“About three years ago, we were looking to expand and build (an office) on a new site,” he said. “We got to thinking, ‘We’ve got to build a water tower anyway. Let’s combine this with that.’” The construction of the 115-foot water tower came first and was completed in February 2006. Landmark Inc., a Canadian company, designed the tower. Archer Engineers of Springfield was the architect and engineer for the interior space.

Describing the tower, VanGilder said, “Typically, there is a ladder on the inside. The pedestal itself is concrete. Usually, it is just open. You can see from the bottom to the top of the tower. It is wasted space.”

The city used its own employees to construct the interior at an estimated cost of $157,000. Considered a capital improvement, the new Public Works offices were funded by the city’s tourism tax and water and sewer fund.

VanGilder said the office column has five levels, each 1,400 square feet. There is an elevator inside and a metal ladder affixed to the outside of the tower. The offices were constructed by pouring four floors of concrete. Next, workers anchored metal studs in the outer wall, added Styrofoam board and a vapor barrier. Sheetrock was then anchored to the walls. “We used 12-foot sheets of sheetrock that would bend enough to go around the curvature of the outer walls.”

VanGilder said the first floor will be a training area, and the next three floors will house 11 offices and three conference rooms. The fifth level will be used for water tower access and as maintenance space.

“We’re currently spread out over five different areas of the city,” VanGilder said. “Obviously, that’s kind of inefficient from an administrative standpoint. This will bring (us) all together in one place.”[[In-content Ad]]