A Closer Look at Magnum Contracting’s Work on the Dawsonville Farmers Market
Farmers’ markets are a big asset to the community, bringing fresh fruits and veggies to consumers straight from the source. Magnum Contracting is so proud to be part of bringing a new farmers market to Dawsonville.
Magnum was awarded the job by the City of Dawsonville and the Georgia Mountain Regional Commission, who teamed up to bring the vision of a fresh market in downtown Dawsonville to life. We were the prime General Contractor for the project and we worked closely with John Quinn on the architecture and Davis Engineering and Surveying for the Civil Engineering, plus subcontractors and vendors like Mullinax Truss and Automatic Curb.
If you want to visit the Dawsonville Farmers Market, you can’t miss it. It’s right next to City Hall. You’ll be struck by how large it is, with the pavilion coming in at 54 feet by 150 feet. There’s a masonry restroom accompanying the pavilion, constructed of heavy timber accents and framing. Parking and hardscaping were also installed. It’s all done and ready to go!
The main challenge we faced with the farmers market was the large open span concept for the 7,500 square foot heavy timber pavilion and the 54-foot wide heavy timber roof truss. Engineering for the truss became difficult, and it became clear a solution had to be found, so Magnum and the team at Davis Engineering put their heads together. We engineered a triple combined truss and wrapped that with a rough material to give the appearance of a heavy truss. This allowed traditional posts and beams to be installed safely and timely for the project.
We had a schedule of 365 days allotted for the Dawsonville Farmers Market. Magnum got the whole thing up in 120 days! The key here was we self-performed the majority of the site work. And we did it fast with zero injuries and a perfect safety record. Yes, the majority of the work. That’s the clearing, grading, erosion control, landscaping, sidewalks, curb and gutter, asphalt paving, veterans memorial area, handrails, and fencing. We delivered an exceptional project under budget.
Preparations were made for a playground as well as a Veterans’ Memorial site to be added in the future. Eventually, we see the farmers market as a thriving part of downtown Dawsonville.
“As many of you may have noticed, we have almost finished the Farmers Market next to City Hall. We had a meeting with the committee who manages the market…and they invited possible vendors and about 25-30 vendors attended. They all want to provide products for our community to buy. Their products range from tomatoes and beans to eggs and honey. Other products including crafts, jewelry, and seafood may be available. The market will probably open in April and run through the growing season. They plan on opening on Saturday mornings.”
— Mayor Mike Eason, Dawsonville newsletter, January 2020
Come check out the Dawsonville Farmers Market when it opens in April and check back soon for more updates on Magnum’s many projects!
