Oilfield fabricators and pipe yards need heavy-industrial ground, a slab that can hold iron and a building that stays open for trucks, and Elk City has a platted park zoned for that use. We build fabrication shops, equipment buildings, warehouses, offices and the paved yards around them in Beckham County, and we price the yard with the same care as the building.
The City of Elk City describes Big Elk Industrial Park as 130 platted acres with individual sites from 6.6 to 35 acres, zoned I-3 (Heavy Industry). It also says the park is on rail, adjacent to the Farmrail main line, which links to BNSF and Union Pacific, and less than 1.5 miles from the I-40 access ramps, with both east and west entry and exit. Heavy-industry zoning matters because it allows uses that other zones do not, such as outdoor storage, loud work and heavy truck traffic. Rail and interstate access together give an owner flexibility on how materials and products move.
Our job is to turn those site features into a building that works: a layout that places doors and yard where the trucks need them, a structure sized to the cranes and equipment inside and utilities sized to the load.
The usual Big Elk building is a steel frame with an eave height of twenty to thirty feet, overhead doors on two or more sides, a bridge crane in some bays, a reinforced slab and an attached office. We plan crane runways with the crane supplier, because the beam size, column footing and floor thickness depend on the capacity and the travel. We also place the electrical service, compressed air and welding power where the shop will use them, so the owner is not retrofitting later.
On a 6.6 to 35 acre site, the yard can be larger than the building. A gravel yard may be fine for storage, while a concrete or asphalt yard is better for heavy trailers and for areas where fluids may drip. We design the yard with drainage, containment and lighting, and we talk with the owner about future expansion so the first building does not block the second. Our manufacturing plant and crane building pages cover the structural choices.
Wikipedia states that the petroleum industry is the heart of Elk City's economy and that Great Plains Regional Medical Center is Elk City's largest employer. The same site reports that Red Hills Wind Farm near Elk City, in Roger Mills and Custer counties, has 82 turbines producing 123 MW, was commissioned in June 2009, and created 15 new full-time local jobs. These are general-reference statements, so we use them cautiously and claim no work for any named owner.
For a contractor, a market tied to petroleum has cycles. Orders for new shops come when drilling activity rises, and owners want speed. We help by preparing a standard shop design that can be priced quickly and by keeping long-lead items, such as steel and overhead doors, on a short list of suppliers. Owners should also expect that wind farms need only a small permanent staff, as the reference notes, so their effect on construction is mostly in service buildings and roads. A medical employer also creates steady demand for clinics, offices and additions, and our medical office construction page describes that work.
The park is adjacent to the Farmrail main line, so lots along the track can consider spurs, but not every lot or user needs one. Before designing around rail, we confirm the track owner's requirements, the cost of a switch and spur and whether a customer will ship enough volume to justify it. If not, a building with strong truck access and room for future track can be the better choice.
Truck movement is the other layout driver. A 6.6 acre lot with a 40,000 square foot building needs a driveway, a turning path for long trailers, parking and room for stormwater. We draw the truck turning radii first and place the building around them. For related work, see our truck courts and dock aprons page and the logistics and distribution page.
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture says Elk City sits at the intersection of Interstate 40 and State Highway 6 in northeastern Beckham County. That junction supports hotels, restaurants, fuel stops and retail. For those buildings we focus on speed and constructability: prototype plans, prefabricated components where owners allow, and a schedule that makes the opening date before a peak season.
We also help owners decide whether to build next to the interstate or on a quieter street in town. Interstate sites cost more but provide visibility; town sites may be better for services that serve locals. Our hotel construction page and Clinton page discuss similar roadside decisions.
Wikipedia reports that Elk City Regional Business Airport lies about 1 mile northeast of the city and has a 5399' x 75' paved runway. That field can serve business aircraft and local aviation, and hangars or small service buildings are a natural fit. We build those with clear-span frames and doors selected for the aircraft.
Most Elk City projects also need site utilities: water, sewer, power and drainage. We bring in the utility providers and the city early, pricing extensions and connection fees separately. Owners comparing several sites should also review Altus and Weatherford, which have different industrial profiles.
Tell us the use, the equipment and the date. We will return a budget, a site layout concept and a schedule. If your project is larger, we can discuss design-build to speed it up.
FAQ
Send the property, the building type and the schedule. We review the scope, the approvals and the trade packages and explain how the project would be sequenced.