Gregg County Parking Facility

Owner: Gregg County
Architect: Schwarz-Hanson Architects
Engineer: Walker Consultants

 

East Texas is known for its close-knit communities, and in Gregg County, that spirit is anchored in the county seat of Longview. A recent wave of revitalization in the historic downtown area has brought new businesses, community events and a thriving arts district — exciting economic developments that go hand-in-hand with a growing demand for public parking.

 

In response to this need, county officials proposed a bond to build a new parking structure next to the downtown courthouse. Voters approved the bond in 2023, paving the way for construction of the new Gregg County Parking Facility and providing the community with nearly 300 free parking spaces as well as a new home for the county’s tax, elections and veterans services departments in the building’s ground-level office space.

 

Working alongside Schwarz-Hanson Architects and Walker Consultants, our SpawGlass-North Texas team headed east to construct the four-level, cast-in-place parking structure. From the project’s onset, the team developed strategies to keep traffic flowing and minimize disruptions for neighboring businesses in the dense downtown environment.

 

The jobsite’s footprint limited laydown and coordination space. On the side adjacent to the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, where the gap between the two buildings measured only two to three feet, elevated work was performed from a motorized suspended platform called a bosun’s chair. Precast exterior panels had to be lowered into the narrow space from above and carefully guided into place without contacting the neighboring structure.

 

Cold, windy weather brought another set of challenges. Much of the building’s concrete work occurred overnight during winter months, when near-freezing temperatures made curing more difficult. The team implemented heating systems under the elevated steel decks and thermal curing blankets to combat the cold, ensuring the concrete set properly and quality was maintained.

 

Throughout the construction process, the project team stayed closely connected with the community, building friendly relationships and establishing open lines of communication. Neighboring business owners and residents often stopped by with questions about the facility’s progress, and county leadership had a front-row view of daily activity from the courthouse across the street.

 

With art deco-inspired exterior panels and a contemporary interior design, the finished structure combines form with function, blending seamlessly with the historic buildings that make up the urban landscape of downtown Longview. The facility’s completion was celebrated by the community with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the space. Community members expressed excitement for the much-anticipated addition, and Gregg County leaders spoke proudly about the new structure and the accomplishments of the team who built it.

 

SpawGlass-North Texas President Lloyd Faver’s favorite catchphrase sums up his thoughts on the project: “It’s all about the team.” Looking back on the success of the Gregg County Parking Facility project and team, he shared, “We set out to build a first-class facility and provide the absolute best construction experience, and this team made that look easy.”