Case study | Zenith Industrial Outdoor Storage
Three neglected lots become one secure, hurricane-tested yard
Conyers, Georgia
The challenge
The owner had leased three separately fenced lots, about 11 acres in all, to a national retail tenant that needed one working yard for its trucks and trailers. Roughly two acres were unusable, buried under dumped trash, old asphalt, and concrete. Every rain flooded the site, both from the sky and from runoff off neighboring properties, and water ran straight through the one remaining steel building, turning its floor to mud.
Security was just as pressing. The perimeter fence was damaged or missing, with about a dozen holes cut along one side alone, and the tenant planned to keep loaded trucks on site overnight.
The BuildCore solution
BuildCore, a construction services company delivering quality renovation coast to coast, managed the full transformation with one point of accountability, from site work through building remediation.
- One yard, fully usable. Removed the interior fencing, hauled out the debris, and regraded all 11 acres, burying old foundation slabs left from earlier demolition.
- Water under control. Cut a drainage channel lined with #3 riprap stone that carries stormwater through the property to the back corner, and graded swales around the building to steer water away from it.
- A secure perimeter. Installed 6 foot fencing with barbed wire around the entire site, added gate openers, and mounted four new exterior pack lights.
- A working building. Restored power to a building that had none, with new electrical service and meter bases. Gutted and rebuilt both bathrooms, pressure washed walls, doors, and floors, sprayed foam insulation where standard insulation would not hold, and added gutters and new interior lighting.
- A hidden problem, solved. Everyone believed the site was on public sewer. During grading our crew uncovered a failed septic system instead. We brought it straight to the owner, repaired it, and capped both tanks with bright green 18 inch risers, so they are easy to find and service against the dark surface.
Value engineering spotlight
Smarter surfacing, savings built in from day one
With 11 acres to surface, the material choice drove the budget. Rather than spec all new stone, our senior estimator, Chuck Delp, recommended a blend of recycled asphalt millings and crush and run. The millings cost far less than crush and run, and the blend packs down hard once it has been wet and dried.
It also matched the gravel already on the lots, so the three properties now read as one finished yard. Because we recommended it on the initial site walk, the savings were in the owner's proposal from the start, not a credit that arrived later.
The result
The tenant now has a single, level, well drained yard with a secure, lit perimeter. The work got a real world test sooner than anyone hoped. When Hurricane Isaias hit the area weeks after the regrade, water flowed around the building instead of through it.
“Grading, drainage, fencing, a rundown building, and a septic system nobody knew was there. This site had a long list of problems, and BuildCore solved every one of them. I made one call instead of juggling five contractors.”
Madison Hebb, Vice President, Property Management, Zenith
“The Saturday morning after Hurricane Isaias, I drove out to check the site. Every bit of that water was going around the building, not through it. You can't ask for a better test than that.”
Chuck Delp, Senior Estimator, BuildCore
Scope at a glance
Site: debris removal, grading, drainage, surfacing • Security: fencing, barbed wire, gate openers, lighting • Building: electrical service, bathrooms, insulation, gutters, lighting • Utilities: septic repair and risers
Let's talk about your site
Have a yard that isn't pulling its weight? We'd love to walk it with you and show you what's possible.
Wes Cannon
Chief Client Officer, BuildCore