Green project supports 2,000 jobs

A look at the lounge and meeting room area when the renovation is completed in the Platinum LEED certified building.

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Today, Uncle Sam kicked off a $129 million energy efficient retrofit of the 620,000-square-foot Byron G. Rogers Federal Office Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Denver, a modernization project expected to support 2,000 jobs and cut energy consumption by 70 percent.

The U.S. General Services Administration is turning the 1960s’ complex into a high-performing green building with state-of-the-art cooling systems, windows and other features.

LEED Platinum

GSA is committed to use innovative technology in government buildings to cut energy usage, save money and boost a new American energy industry. The building, l at 1961 Stout Street, is expected to attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Platinum certification.

Upgrades include:

replacement of all existing exterior windows, doors, and partitions.
Replacing the HVAC system, fire protection system and electrical distribution system.
LED lighting fixtures will be used for 100 percent of the lighting, making it one of the largest LED project in the country.

The project also will install a chilled-beam cooling system that uses chilled water fed through beams throughout the building. This system uses far less energy than other typical cooling systems because the water does not have to be cooled to as low a temperature as traditional systems.

“Thanks to the Recovery Act. the federal government is playing a leading role in the growth of “green” buildings,” said GSA Rocky Mountain Regional Administrator Susan Damour. “Investments in our area’s infrastructure are leading to job growth in emerging energy industries, a cut in energy consumption, and savings to American taxpayers over the long term. GSA is delivering lasting progress towards reducing the federal government’s consumption of energy and water, and increasing our use of clean and renewable sources of energy.”

Catalyst for downtown

The office building and courthouse has been home to 11 federal agencies. This modernization project will not only result in a modern, highly-efficient workspace for the federal agencies housed there, but will also help revitalize the eastern edge of the downtown central business district at 20th & Stout Streets.

“Downtown Denver will benefit significantly from the extensive modernization of the Byron G Rogers Federal Office Building,” said Tami Door, President and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. “When nearly an entire city block receives a facelift of this magnitude, it enhances the value of adjacent properties and buildings, and can serve as a catalytic event.”

The project is expected to support about 2,000 jobs throughout the life of the project, including positions such as designers and consultants to contractors and suppliers.

Using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, GSA awarded the $129 million contract to a design-build team led by Mortenson Construction in February of 2010.

The design-build delivery method helps the project meet its tight schedule as demolition and other work can begin while the design continues to progress. This also allows contractors to offer cost-saving initiatives or material alternatives to the design team to help ensure the project stays on budget. The project is expected to be complete in 2013.

The design-build team includes: