IA DNR: Round-the-Clock Construction Gets Honey Creek Resort Off the Ground

MORAVIA, IA – Honey Creek Resort State Park’s main campus, including the lodge, restaurant, water park and conference center, is rapidly taking shape despite a wet fall and snowy winter.

The construction site has become a flurry of action from steelworkers, roofers, framers, truck drivers, site managers, and a pair of 100-foot construction cranes. Contractors for Hansen Company are putting in fifteen-hour work days – six days a week – to build the resort’s lodge and hotel, and the results are obvious.

“We are thrilled with the dedication by these workers to make the resort a reality,” said Terry Montgomery, DNR Project Administrator for Honey Creek Resort State Park. “Even with the challenging winter weather, construction continues to rapidly progress.”

The four floors of the hotel and main lodge are framed with the roof now being installed, according to Montgomery. Additionally, the water park section is fully framed and roofed, and the convention center is taking shape as steel workers construct its framework.

Next steps include plumbing and electrical work, with window installation beginning in about two weeks.

“The crews are moving pretty well, despite the weather,” said Ryan Ferris, On-Site Project Manager with Hansen Company. “They’re pushing through the cold and we’re doing our best to hold to the construction schedule.”

To help keep construction on track, Hansen Co. has brought in portable lighting to extend the work day. About 56 workers are currently on-site to help with construction.

“The aquatic center now has a roof and we’re even prepping for the pool,” said Ferris. “Another major development is the masonry work that’s beginning on the fireplace in the main lobby. It’s the first finish work of the project.”

According to Ferris, masons are beginning the block and brick work on the massive stone fireplace that will be the centerpiece of the main lodge.

“After all the planning and hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding to see the resort come alive,” said Montgomery. “From this point the building will really take on its character and beautiful design. This is going to be a showcase destination for Iowans.”

Honey Creek Resort State Park is scheduled to open in August 2008. At opening, the 850-acre state park, sitting on shore of 11,000-acre Rathbun Lake in southern Iowa, will feature a 105-room lodge, restaurant, convention center, indoor water park, spa, 18-hole golf course, RV park, boat dock, boat ramps, a fishing house, and trail system. As Iowa’s first “Destination State Park” it will offer outstanding facilities, combined with educational offerings and experiences highlighting Iowa’s natural resources such as fishing, boating, birding, hiking, campfires and nature watching.

This combination of amenities and experiences will make Honey Creek Resort one of the most exciting and rewarding destinations in the state, according to Montgomery.

“Families looking to explore and discover, a business interested in a unique location for its next conference or meeting, or an organization searching for a beautiful setting for its event or festival, we believe Honey Creek Resort State Park will be a perfect venue,” said Montgomery

The resort complex will be across the bay from the existing 850-acre Honey Creek State Park. The Department recently announced Central Management Group of St. Cloud, Minn. will be responsible for hotel management.

DNR Contact: Terry Montgomery (515) 402-7413

Hansen Company Contact: Ryan Ferris, On-Site Project Manager (515) 202-4175

Note to Press: High resolution construction photos are available by contacting Julie Sparks at (515) 281-6159 or Mick Klemesrud at (515) 281-8653. Photos can be viewed at http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/honeycreek/gallery.html