SAN DIEGO — Lowe Enterprises has begun construction on the third phase of the San Diego County Operations Center and Annex redevelopment (COC) — the $73 million Registrar of Voters Headquarters — which will be built to LEED standards.
The 118,500-square-foot building will include: staff offices, election ballot-processing capabilities, warehouse production space and public art installation.
“This is an important facility and another vital component of this modern, sustainable campus serving the county and residents of San Diego,” says Mike McNerney, senior vice president of Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group. “The building will be state-of-the-art at all levels, creating an efficient work environment and providing ample space for the processing of ballots and vote counting on election night.”
Development of the 47-acre County Operations Center, located on Overland Avenue, is occurring in multiple phases. The second phase of the COC was completed in August 2012 and includes two 150,000-square-foot four-story office buildings, and a 15,000-square-foot conference center and cafeteria.
The conference center was recently awarded LEED Platinum certification. It features natural lighting through solar tubes and skylights; energy-efficient mechanical, architectural and solar electrical features; a solar hot water system and a vegetated green roof that naturally filters rainwater and provides a park-like setting for the center. In addition, 20 percent of building materials were obtained from local venders.
The second phase also included a public art display which showcases art work by local artists including, suspended and ground mounted sculptures, original paintings, photographs and a collection of local historic artifacts displayed on each floor of the new office buildings.
The first phase of the project was completed in October 2010 and achieved LEED Gold certification. The $188.5 million project consists of two 150,000-square-foot, four-story, steel-frame office buildings and a seven-level 1,800-space parking structure. Approximately 1,100 employees from nine county departments, including General Services, Library, Aging & Independence Services, Sherriff, Purchasing & Contracting, Public Works, Auditor, Environmental Health and Parks & Recreation, have relocated to the new buildings.
The project team also includes RJC Architects, Suffolk Roel Construction, with Project Management Advisors and the County of San Diego Department of General Services overseeing the project on behalf of the County Board of Supervisors.
Lowe Enterprises is headquartered in Los Angeles and has experience with build-to-suit developments and public-private partnerships similar to the COC project.
— Rachel Goff