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Project Title: Construct Headquarters Visitor Building (FFS #R8AA)
State: California
Project Description: The San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge consists of the Sweetwater Marsh and South San Diego Bay Units and encompasses approximately 2,620 acres of land and water in and around San Diego Bay.
This project will construct a one-story, standard design refuge headquarters, visitor contact station and workshop. The facility will be constructed on existing refuge land adjacent to a nature center operated by the City of Chula Vista, Calif. The facility will replacing commercial leased space located approximately 1 hour from the nearest refuge in the complex. There are currently no visitor facilities or central location to gain information about the complex for the 8 million person service area.
The building will be constructed to meet LEED Silver standards and will incorporate solar and other appropriate renewable energy sources as identified during the detailed design phase.
Project Benefits: The new refuge headquarters and visitor center will improve and expand environmental education, interpretation and outreach opportunities for the public while improving operating efficiencies and reducing costs for refuge staff. This new facility will allow the Service to vacate existing GSA-leased space, which will save over $710,000 during the typical 13-year lease period (current lease is $55,000 per year).
The new building’s operational costs will be offset with savings from leased space. The current lease space is located an hour from the nearest Refuge therefore both energy and time cost savings will accrue from having the facility located on a Refuge. The Refuge Complex does not currently have a workshop. Repair and maintenance work is accomplished in an uncontrolled outdoor environment. The new shop would allow the Refuge Complex to safely meet on-going maintenance needs of the four Refuges. The building will incorporate the Service’s standard design approach, and the sustainable design and energy efficient features will minimize energy, operational and maintenance costs.
The $820,000 award to Line and Space LLC for design and engineering services for the San Diego refuge project has provided economic stability for 13 employees of the Tucson, Arizona- based architectural firm. “Prior to this project we didn’t really have enough work to keep everyone busy, we were on the edge of furloughing some employees,” said Les Wallach, who founded the firm in 1978. “Designing and engineering a project in a beautiful and sensitive environment is something we love to do, and economically, the project is keeping us in business. We haven’t had to lay anyone off.”
Originally posted 07/01/2009
Updated 07/27/2009
For additional information, please contact:
Andy Yuen, Project Leader
San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex
(760) 930-0168
Andy_yuen@fws.gov
Photos:
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 Landscape at San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge |
