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Project Title: Construct Headquarters, Visitor Contact Station, and Service Building (FFS #R8AA)
State: California
Initial Project Description: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will fund the construction of a one-story, standard design refuge headquarters, visitor contact station, and service building. The existing Refuge Complex headquarters is co-located with the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office in General Services Administration (GSA) leased office space in Carlsbad, California. The Refuge headquarters would relocate approximately 41 miles to the south to a Service-owned and operated facility that would be constructed on Refuge lands at the Sweetwater Marsh Unit, adjacent to a nature center operated by the Chula Vista Nature Center Foundation.
“The Chula Vista Nature Center is uniquely focused on the native wildlife of San Diego and, in particular, San Diego Bay,” explained Andy Yuen, Project Leader. “We have an outstanding partnership with the Nature Center and they have led the way in groundbreaking partnerships in the conservation of the endangered light-footed clapper rail with the Port of San Diego, U.S. Navy, San Diego Wild Animal Park, and SeaWorld San Diego.”
The proposed single-story administrative facility would be approximately 6,501 square feet in size and would provide offices, a conference room, restrooms, storage, resource room, and a visitor contact station. The proposed single-story service building would be approximately 2,313 square feet in size and would provide a work area for Refuge maintenance activities and storage. The combined footprint of the new buildings would be approximately 8,814 square feet. The new buildings would consolidate Refuge Complex-level administrative, resource management, and maintenance operations. The new administrative facility would be located at the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge-Sweetwater Marsh Unit. A parking area would also be provided next to the service building.
The purpose of the new facilities is to increase the effectiveness of the Refuge Complex to meet the growing challenges of managing migratory birds, recovering endangered and threatened species, conserving and restoring terrestrial and aquatic habitats, and protecting human life and property in one of the most biologically diverse and densely populated regions of the United States. The new facilities are needed so we can provide greater opportunities for collaboration and coordinated management between Refuges and our partners. We also need the new administrative facility in southern San Diego County so we can build stronger relationships and partnerships with the communities that neighbor our Refuges.
The Refuge Complex does not have a service building that can be used for maintenance work and storing equipment and materials. Nearly all maintenance work conducted on the individual Refuges is performed by Refuge staff, or under private contract. As the Refuge Complex has grown in the last several years, the benefits of a dedicated maintenance staff and service building would result in increased efficiency of the Refuge Complex.
The visitor contact station would be located adjacent to the administrative facility, and would serve as the bridge to bring visitors from the Chula Vista Nature Center onto the Refuge to explore the trails, observe wildlife, and connect people with nature. Displays that interpret the biological and historic resources of Gunpowder Point and Sweetwater Marsh would also be located in the visitor contact station.
The administrative facility may also include a 1,422-square-foot resource room that provides the flexibility to be used as a conference room for public meetings, or as a classroom. The resource room would provide classroom space for approximately 30 students. The resource room would allow students to conduct studies on Refuge lands and further expand the existing use of the Refuge as an outdoor classroom.
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 leased space, which will save over $710,000 during the typical 13-year lease period, which is currently $ 55,000 per year.
The new building’s operational costs will be offset by savings from eliminating the 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. Also, the new shop would allow the Refuge Complex to safely and efficiently meet on-going maintenance needs of the four Refuges.
The $820,000 award to Line and Space, LLC Architects 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 actually 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.”
“Line and Space has hired several local subcontractors for this project,” added Project Leader Yuen. “These local firms are providing their special expertise in working in San Diego County related to geotechnical analysis, surveying, LEED certification, value engineering, and water line testing. Local contractors have the added benefit of understanding the particular challenges of working within the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.”
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. The sustainable design and energy-efficient features will minimize energy, as well as operational and maintenance costs.
“Line and Space is an award-winning firm with an outstanding reputation for sustainable design,” said Yuen. “The new facility includes photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight into electricity, which will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. There will also be a rainwater harvesting channel to capture rainfall and fog drip. The building design infuses the interior spaces with light through the use of glass.”
Project Status: The contract was awarded to Line and Space, LLC Architects of Tucson, Arizona, on July 11, 2009, in the amount of $820,255. The project is expected to be completed by June 2011.
San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge
San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge is an urban refuge located on San Diego Bay in southern California. The Sweetwater Marsh Unit, comprising 316 acres of salt marsh and coastal uplands surrounded by urban development and San Diego Bay, is a critically important area for wildlife now that more than 90 percent of the historic wetlands of San Diego Bay have been filled in, drained, or diked.
Sweetwater Marsh provides habitat for four endangered or threatened species, including the light-footed clapper rail. It’s also the only place in the United Sates where yerba reuma, a member of the heath family, grows naturally. More than 200 species of birds have been recorded on the Refuge.
The South San Diego Bay Unit of the Refuge provides salt ponds, remaining wetlands, mudflats and eel grass beds to ensure that the bay’s thousands of migrating and resident shorebirds and waterfowl will survive into the next century. The Refuge manages 2,300 acres of wildlife habitat within the South San Diego Bay Unit.
There are currently no visitor facilities, or central location, to gain information about the Complex for the 3 million residents of San Diego County.
June 2010 Project Update: On June 15, 2010, the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new administrative facility, visitor contact station, and service building. The dedication was held at the Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the San Diego Bay NWR at the Chula Vista Nature Center.
The event showcased the building and grounds, announced to the public that PCL Construction Services, Inc. of San Diego received the construction contract, and described the continuing support and relationships between the community and the Refuge.
The project will facilitate increased coordination among the San Diego Bay, Tijuana Slough, and San Diego National Wildlife Refuges by locating the administrative facility closer to on-the-ground management and habitat restoration projects; raise the Refuge’s public profile in refuge communities; enhance opportunities to develop partnerships and working relationships with communities in south San Diego County; conserve annual funding by eliminating lease payments for office space; and stimulate the economy of San Diego County with the construction of the new buildings.
The proposed single-story administrative facility will be approximately 6,501 square feet in size and will provide offices, conference room, restrooms, storage, resource room, and a visitor contact station. The proposed single-story service building will be approximately 2,313 square feet in size and will provide a work area for Refuge maintenance activities and storage. The new facility will be located on the Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the San Diego Bay NWR and adjacent to the Chula Vista Nature Center, a non-profit wildlife education facility visited by thousands of area school students annually.
September 2011 Project Update: On August 3, 2011 the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex opened the doors to its new facility. “This will greatly improve our ability to work cooperatively with our many neighbors and partners to conserve and manage the national wildlife refuges in south San Diego County,” said Andrew Yuen, Project Leader for the complex.
Photos:
To learn more:
Press Releases:
- Secretary Salazar Announces Contract Award for Design and Engineering Services for New Administrative Headquarters and Visitor Contact Station at San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex
- New Jobs Created in $4.5 Million Recovery Act Project for San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex
For additional information, please contact:
Andrew R. Yuen
Project Leader
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex
6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 101
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: (760) 930-0168
Andy_Yuen@fws.gov
Slader Buck
Deputy Project Leader
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex
6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 101
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: (760) 930-0168
Slader_Buck@fws.gov
Les Wallach
Line and Space, LLC Architects
627 East Speedway Boulevard
Tucson, AZ 85705-7433
http://www.lineandspace.com/main
Phone: (520) 623-1313
Fax: (520) 623-1303
studio627@lineandspace.com
Originally posted 07/01/2009
Updated 07/27/2009
Updated 04/15/2010
Updated 07/20/2010
Updated 07/22/2010
Page Completed 09/02/2011
