08 Mar Barge Civil Associates Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary
Nashville-based civil engineering firm Barge Civil Associates (BCA) celebrated its 30-year anniversary, and the retirement of Dan Barge III, at an open house Feb. 27 at event venue 14TENN.
“Coming together with colleagues and friends to honor Dan’s legacy and look back at 30 years of company milestones was a true celebration. Dan’s impact on the area’s-built environment will continue for decades to come,” said Liza Rivers, who joined the firm as employee number four within two weeks of its founding. The celebration comes a year after the company rebranded from Barge Cauthen & Associates, and Barge turned over ownership to Rivers, John Gore and Jeff Hooper.
“On Jan. 17, 1994, John Cauthen and I wandered into our spacious 408 square foot office in the Cavalier Building with some Diet Coke and paper towels and started working on getting a land line set up. By the end of the year, we had 69 clients,” said Barge. “It has been a rewarding career and I feel very fortunate that the firm remains independently employee owned – led by John, Jeff and Liza – home-grown talent who remain dedicated to excellent client service.”
Since its inception, BCA has completed nearly 7,000 projects including overseeing the construction of nearly $1 billion of mixed-use developments for H.G. Hill Realty Company and 30 years’ worth of campus improvements to Vanderbilt University, Barge’s alma mater. “Dan has grown BCA into one of the Nashville area’s top civil engineering firms, providing our team with the opportunity to work on thousands of projects that have grown and shaped the area,” said Gore, who joined BCA in 2001 and who’s first projects included Hill Center Belle Meade and Hill Center Green Hills, one of the first pedestrian oriented mixed-use developments in Nashville.
“Dan has not only witnessed the explosive growth of the Nashville area over his 47-year career, but he’s also been a pivotal figure in helping shape its skyline,” said Hooper, who joined the firm in 2002. “We often tell new employees that when they look at Nashville’s skyline from any angle, there’s a good chance they are looking at a project that we helped design.”
BCA currently has 34 employees including 11 licensed Professional Engineers, and is recognized by industry peers for its collaborative approach, thoughtful urban development with an emphasis on connectivity and walkability, and for its ability to implement creative solutions for incredibly tough sites while successfully navigating these challenges through regulatory and review processes. The firm prides itself on establishing sound relationships with its clients that has led to numerous collaborations with local entities including Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Middle Tennessee State University, Montgomery Bell Academy, Rutherford County Board of Education, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Additional notable projects include: Austin Peay State University’s Health Professions Building, Peabody Plaza, Peabody Union, Geodis Park, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s hotel and parking garage, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department – Southeast Police Precinct, and Vanderbilt University’s Rothschild College.
Projects currently in the pipeline include Nashville Youth Empowerment Center, Belle Meade Plaza, Harding Town Center, Albion Music Row, 445 Park Commons and five contracts for the 600-acre proposed Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Training Academy Campus.
