Emerald Gateway

Seattle has long been a hub of commerce and the lifeblood of the economy flows through its ports and warehouse. For decades, JR Hayes has specialized in commercial sitework and has developed untold millions of square feet of commercial space occupied and managed by our clients. So, it’s no surprise when one of the nation’s largest commercial developers looks to tackle a challenging site, JR Hayes is their top choice for a sitework partner.

The Emerald Gateway project is located in the busy commercial and industrial district of South Seattle and straddles two municipalities (Tukwila and Seattle). JR Hayes’ scope included demolition of existing warehouses and office buildings to make way for the new tenants and updated facilities. Onsite crushers produced much of the needed pre-load material and permanent fills supporting the 1-million-plus square feet of new building footprint as well as rock for permanent surface improvement from the concrete rubble reclaimed from the building demolition.

The site geography also created a unique set of challenges, particularly when JR Hayes’ utility crews set about installing not only the miles of storm, sewer, and water lines that service the site, but also the 60-IN storm line crossing through the site from adjacent WSDOT right of way. This pipe elevation fell below the tidally influenced groundwater table and the pipe crew battled running soil and water throughout its 1,500 LF alignment.