Press Release
Mayor Newsom Breaks Ground on New SFPUC Headquarters Building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue
New Energy & Water-Efficient SFPUC Headquarters Will Exemplify Highest Standards of Sustainability and Green Building Design
10/21/09 – Mayor Gavin Newsom, joined by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Department of Public Works, Webcor Builders, KMD/Stevens Architects and the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council, today broke ground on the SFPUC’s new environmentally sustainable headquarters building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue.
“San Francisco is proud of its leadership in energy and water conservation, which are so important to California’s future,” said Mayor Newsom. “This new SFPUC headquarters will be a world-class, energy and water-efficient structure that exemplifies the highest standards of sustainability and sets an example for the Green Building movement and cities across the nation.”
To save ratepayer dollars over the long term and consolidate hundreds of employees currently spread throughout several leased facilities, the SFPUC is building a new headquarters and administration building at 525 Golden Gate Avenue, where a vacant, seismically unsound building once stood. With funding secured and necessary approvals in place, the expected LEED Platinum-certified building will be completed in Spring 2012.
“With our new headquarters we can save ratepayer dollars over the long-term and set an example for the public and private sector in sustainable development and green building,” said SFPUC General Manager Ed Harrington.
When compared to a conventional Class ‘A’ building, the new SFPUC headquarters will:
· Consume 55% less energy than mandated California Title-24 energy code and demand 32% less electricity from grid
· Save $118 million in energy costs over 75 years.
· With wind turbines and solar panels throughout, produce 10% or more of the building’s energy needs from renewable energy (photovoltaics and wind turbines)
· Harvest daylight and advanced lighting design will result in 45% less energy to illuminate the interior
· Have highly energy efficient, mixed mode ventilation system that will provide superior indoor air quality
· With low flow toilets, waterless urinals and on-site treatment of greywater and rainwater, use just 5 gallons per day per person (vs. 12 gallons per day per person for typical office building)
In June 2000, the City acquired the 1989 Loma Prieta damaged and long-vacant building at 525 Golden Gate Ave from the State of California with the goal of developing an administration building that would house various city departments. By February 2001, the environmental impact report (EIR) was completed but the development was halted during the economic decline following the dot.com and September 11th recession.
In 2006, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission realized that it would benefit ratepayers to build its own headquarters instead of leasing various properties to house its employees. In that same year, the SFPUC adopted the environmental findings with the goal to build “the greenest office building in an urban setting.”
In 2009, the SFPUC – with its partner DPW and the project team of Webcor Builders and KMD/Stevens Architects has demolished the old building and redesigned the new headquarters to stay at the vanguard of the fast-moving Green Building movement.
With an estimated project cost of $190 million and financing secured, the new SFPUC Headquarters will be completed by Spring 2012. More than 600 direct construction jobs will be created and more than 1,300 jobs overall.
SFPUC Headquarters Highlights
· 13 floors plus basement
· 277,500 gross square feet
· Class ‘A’ office building to last 100 years
· Goal of LEED – Platinum level certification
· Will house approximately 1,000 employees at move-in
· Innovative structural system (vertical post-tensioned and self centering building)
· Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) Center and Emergency Operation Center
· Child Care Center for 39 children
· Café’ and public exhibition / education center
· Art enrichment by Ned Kahn, a “MacArthur Genius Award” recipient