Case Study: Commercial Paving for a Retail Center in Salem

The Challenge: A Busy Lot That Could Not Close

A multi-tenant retail center in Salem, Oregon needed its parking lot repaved. The 180-space lot served a grocery store, a pharmacy, three restaurants, and several smaller retail tenants. The lot had been in service for 22 years with only periodic patching and one partial sealcoat application.

The property management company faced a problem common to retail properties: the lot was failing, but closing it for construction would cost tenants significant revenue. The grocery store alone generated $40,000-$60,000 in daily sales, and the pharmacy could not redirect customers to another location.

The mandate was clear: repave the entire lot while keeping every business fully operational.

Assessment Findings

Our site assessment identified:

• Extensive surface deterioration with oxidized, brittle asphalt across 80% of the surface
• Alligator cracking in the main drive aisle and grocery store entrance area (approximately 20% of total surface)
• Base failure concentrated near the dumpster enclosure and delivery area where heavy truck traffic had stressed the pavement beyond its design capacity
• 23 potholes of varying severity, with 8 requiring base repair
• Drainage issues along the west property line where grading directed water toward the building instead of away from it
• Non-compliant ADA parking with only 5 accessible spaces where 7 were required for 180 total spaces, and 2 existing spaces exceeding slope requirements

Core samples revealed that the aggregate base was still sound in approximately 65% of the lot. The remaining 35% showed base contamination or insufficient thickness for the traffic loads.

The Solution: Five-Phase Construction

We designed a five-phase construction plan that kept at least 70% of parking available at all times and maintained access to every tenant entrance throughout the project.

Phase 1: Delivery Area and Dumpster Pad (Days 1-3)

The heaviest-use area required full-depth replacement:

• Removed 4 inches of failed asphalt and 10 inches of contaminated base
• Installed geotextile separation fabric over the clay subgrade
• Placed 12 inches of new 3/4-inch minus crushed rock base (thicker than standard to handle truck loads)
• Paved with 4 inches of heavy-duty Level 3 asphalt mix in two lifts
• Replaced the concrete dumpster pad with a reinforced 6-inch slab

This phase was completed over a weekend with construction starting at 6 AM to minimize impact on deliveries. We coordinated delivery schedules with the grocery store to route trucks to a temporary delivery point during construction.

Phase 2: West Section with Drainage Correction (Days 4-7)

The west section required both paving and drainage work:

• Milled 2 inches of existing asphalt from the overlay area
• Excavated and replaced failed base in three locations totaling 2,400 square feet
• Regraded the west edge to reverse water flow away from the building, adding a 6-inch curb and two catch basins connected to the existing storm drain
• Installed 2.5 inches of new surface course asphalt
• Restored landscaping along the new curb line

Phase 3: North Section (Days 8-10)

The north section was primarily overlay work:

• Milled 2 inches and applied leveling course where needed
• Full-depth patching in 5 localized base failure areas
• 2-inch surface course overlay across 18,000 square feet
• Temporary striping applied to open this section before Phase 4

Phase 4: South Section (Days 11-13)

Similar scope to Phase 3:

• Milled 2 inches with localized base repairs
• 2-inch surface course overlay across 16,000 square feet
• Temporary transition ramps between new and yet-to-be-completed sections

Phase 5: Center Drive Aisle and Finishing (Days 14-16)

The main drive aisle connecting all sections was completed last:

• Full-depth replacement of the grocery entrance area (3,200 sq ft)
• Overlay of the remaining drive aisle sections
• Installation of all permanent striping using thermoplastic for high-traffic markings
• ADA space construction with proper slopes, signage, and access aisle markings
• Final cleanup and temporary signage removal

Project Details

| Item | Detail | |------|--------| | Location | Salem, Oregon | | Property type | Multi-tenant retail center | | Tenants | Grocery store, pharmacy, 3 restaurants, 4 retail shops | | Total parking spaces | 180 | | Project area | Approximately 54,000 square feet | | Full replacement areas | 35% of lot (delivery area, entrance, base failures) | | Overlay areas | 65% of lot | | Construction duration | 16 working days across 4 weeks | | Parking maintained | 70%+ at all times | | Tenant closures | Zero |

Traffic Management Strategy

Keeping 180 parking spaces operational while repaving required detailed traffic management:

Signage Program

• Pre-construction: Posted notices on all tenant doors and parking lot entrances 3 weeks before start
• During construction: Directional signs at every intersection guiding customers to open sections
• Entrance management: The main street entrance remained open at all times with flagging during active work nearby
• Temporary parking signs: Numbered temporary spaces in each active section so customers could locate their vehicles

Pedestrian Safety

• Barricaded all active construction zones with high-visibility fencing
• Maintained clear pedestrian paths from parking to every tenant entrance
• Stationed a flagger at pedestrian crossing points near active paving
• Used steel plates to bridge trenches where utility work crossed pedestrian routes

Tenant Communication

• Weekly email updates to all tenant managers with the upcoming week's schedule
• Daily morning briefings with the grocery store manager (the largest tenant)
• 24-hour notice before any change affecting a specific tenant's entrance
• Dedicated phone number for tenant questions and concerns

Results

The completed project delivered:

• Complete surface renewal across all 54,000 square feet
• Corrected drainage eliminating water flow toward the building
• Full ADA compliance with 7 properly graded accessible spaces (including 2 van-accessible)
• Heavy-duty delivery area designed for the actual truck loads the lot receives
• Zero tenant revenue days lost from the construction process
• 20+ year expected lifespan with the maintenance program we provided

The property management company reported that tenant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with several tenants commenting that the phasing plan was significantly better than they had expected. Customer traffic patterns returned to normal within 2 days of each phase completion.

Key Takeaways for Retail Property Managers

1. Start planning in winter for summer construction. Contractor schedules fill up by March for the June-October season.
2. Invest in proper traffic management. The signage and flagging costs are a small fraction of the project but make the difference between happy and frustrated tenants.
3. Fix drainage during the repave. This is your opportunity to correct problems that have been damaging the lot for years. Do not pave over them.
4. Upgrade the delivery area. Standard parking lot asphalt is not built for loaded delivery trucks. A thicker section in the delivery area prevents the premature failure that triggered this project.
5. Communicate early and often. Tenants and their customers handle construction well when they know what to expect.

Planning a Retail Center Paving Project?

Cojo Excavation and Asphalt specializes in phased commercial paving projects that keep businesses open. We serve retail centers, shopping plazas, and commercial properties across Oregon's I-5 corridor from Portland to Eugene.

Call 541-409-9848 or request a project consultation.