Foit-Albert Announces New Director of Residential Survey

Steve Carver, PLS, has been promoted to Director of Residential Survey at Foit-Albert Associates. Mr. Carver's experience as a surveyor includes 20 years experience in performing boundary, topographic, construction, industrial and ALTSA survey services.

Mr. Carver began his career with Foit-Albert Associates in 1997, when the firm joined forces with Charles Denver. Since then, he has been Survey Party Chief, primarily responsible for field crews, computations and day-to-day work activities. He has been involved with residential surveys including single-family dwellings and subdivisions for attorneys, municipalities, and individual clients. Mr. Carver's years of experience has led him to deliver precise, high-quality documents to his clients.

"I look forward to maintaining the high standards that Foit-Albert has established as a firm, while striving to assist our clients in achieving their goals and satisfying the requirements of their clients," said Carver. "I have always been motivated by providing superior levels of service to clients. That includes accuracy, timely delivery and convenience, while tailoring services to meet the specific needs of clients. I plan to maintain that high standard as I take on the new position of Director of Residential Survey."

Mr. Carver holds registration as a New York Professional Land Surveyor and is currently on the Board of Directors for the Niagara Frontier Land Surveyors.

Foit-Albert-designed Old Fort Niagara Visitor Center wins Historic Preservation Award

Buffalo, New York – The $5 million, Foit-Albert-designed Old Fort Niagara Visitor Center has won a 2009 Preservation Buffalo Niagara Award for the rehabilitation of the Army Commissary building. The Visitor Center received the award on May 8th at an awards ceremony in Buffalo, NY. The Visitor Center is one of thirteen Buffalo and Western New York projects to be honored for historic preservation efforts.

The 10,000 square foot Visitor Center was created through the adaptive reuse of a former U.S. Army commissary building. The new facility provides expanded services and amenities to patrons, including state-of-the-art reception facilities, an orientation theatre/classroom, interpretive exhibit space, restrooms, and a museum shop. The facility retains the appearance of a 1930’s era Army warehouse. Robert Sanders, AIA was the Project Manager and oversaw design and construction of the project. The 12 month construction sequence began in August of 2005. Mr. Sanders notes that “completion of the Visitor Center provides Old Fort Niagara with additional means to interpret events and artifacts central to the history of Western New York and the nation. It was a pleasure to work with the administration and staff of Old Fort Niagara, all of whom are passionate in their work and mission.”

The centerpiece of the facility exhibits is the conserved 1812 garrison flag measuring 24’ by 28’ that flew over the Fort before its capture by the British. Fort Niagara’s flag is properly a “garrison color” intended for use on special occasions and during battle. Its large size made it easily visible to an enemy. The flag was captured on December 19, 1813 by British troops, and has an extensive history - held in Quebec, laid at the feet of a future king of England, and kept for nearly 180 years in a private Scottish castle.

The flag was badly damaged by a fire in Megginch Castle in 1969, but about 40-50% of the banner was saved. The flag meant so much to the Drummond family that they risked their lives to enter their burning castle and save it from the flames. Baroness Lady Strange sold the flag to the Old Fort Niagara Association in 1994, and a two-year restoration process, costing nearly $200,000 was undertaken in Albany at the Textiles Conservation Laboratory of the Peebles Island Resource Center. The flag is an example of the 15 star, 15 stripe flag that flew above Fort McHenry, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner in 1814.

The Visitor Center was designed to accommodate a special temperature- and humidity-controlled enclosure for the flag. The flag is displayed on an inclined and cushioned anti-acidic surface. LED light fixtures provide less than five footcandles of light on the flag, minimizing heat and UV radiation. A moveable platform is provided to allow periodic cleaning and inspection of the historic flag. M/E Engineering provided all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection engineering, with Jansen/Kiener Consulting Engineers providing structural design support

Senator George Maziarz said, “Old Fort Niagara is the landmark historical attraction in our region, and the new visitor center will welcome thousands and thousands of visitors who come to learn about our unique past. The precious 1812 garrison flag, and all the other artifacts and information that tell the Fort’s story, have found a proper home in the new facility.”

The Preservation Buffalo Niagara is a newly-formed organization aimed to forge a stronger commitment to the area’s preservation movement. The keynote speaker at the awards luncheon was Peter Brink, Senior Vice President for the National Trust for Historic Preservation.