The Cherry Crest Water Reservoir & Park snagged the award for public works projects. The project expanded a neighborhood park while providing a new underground, earthquake-safe, 3-million gallon water reservoir.

Initially, two construction materials were considered to reconstruct the water reservoir - steel and reinforced concrete. Concrete was chosen because unlike steel, it is not subject to corrosion and it provides a barrier that naturally protects the reinforcing steel from corrosive environments.

Studies indicated that a steel reservoir would cost less to build, but concrete had better "lifecycle benefits," which evened the score. For instance, periodic repainting and maintenance of a steel facility is more expensive than periodic recoating for the concrete reservoir. Also, a steel structure would have required significantly more excavation and other work to mitigate the steeply sloped site.

Aside from meeting technical requirements for the project, concrete provided several amenities for the park. The roof of the new reservoir doubled as a tennis court, as well as a plaza with benches and a picnic table.