Centennial Station Office Building Complete/CU-Boulder Breaks Ground on New Biotech Facility/ARRA-Funded Projects Continue

Construction Complete On Centennial Station

The 95,000-sq-ft Centennial Station office building will house the city of Centennial’s economic development office. (Photo by Blake Mourer, Gensler)

The new 95,000-sq-ft Centennial Station office building at 12154 E. Easter Ave. will support Centennial’s economic development office with a 20-year tenant lease that allows the office to grow with the surrounding community. The building is fully occupied.

The construction team recycled 83% of construction debris, including drywall, steel and concrete. The onsite office staff recycled 4.5 tons of paper during construction. Indoor air quality was protected by utilizing low-VOC paints and adhesives and during construction, strict guidelines helped maintain air quality.

The office development, which is targeting LEED-Silver certification, was the most recent collaboration for the U.S. General Services Administration, developer Harwood & Associates, general contractor The Weitz Co. and Gensler, the architect.

Construction Under Way on CU’s New Biotechnology Facility

Construction began this fall on CU-Boulder’s 248,298-sq-ft Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building.

The design for the Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building on the CU-Boulder campus incorporates “research neighborhoods”—made up of efficient and flexible research labs, support spaces and collaboration spaces—all connected via a Main Street corridor. (Rendering courtesy of CU-Boulder)

The new building will house the Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology, the biochemistry faculty in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, and the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department.

The 257,000-sq-ft first phase of the building is slated for completion in fall 2011, with plans for a 54,000-sq-ft addition at a later date. The building’s design incorporates “research neighborhoods”—efficient and flexible research labs, support spaces and collaboration spaces—connected via a “main street” corridor.

The building will anchor CU-Boulder’s East Campus, a parcel of land slated for future university expansion northwest of Colorado Avenue and Foothills Parkway.

HDR Architects, in association with Robert A. M. Stern Architects, designed the building, and it is being constructed by JE Dunn Construction Co. of Denver

Phase 1 Construction Begins On Rifle’s Centennial Park

Park construction began this fall on the $3.5-million first phase of construction for the new Centennial Park in Rifle. Lafayette’s Design Concepts designed the park. ECI Site Construction Management of Loveland is the contractor.

The 14-acre linear park is located in the heart of Rifle between the Park and Railroad avenues residential neighborhoods. It connects to the historic downtown on the south end and the county fairgrounds on the north end.

It will feature a “walk through time” along Rifle Creek, with interpretive areas that tell the story of the city over the past century.

New municipal infrastructure includes six pedestrian bridges, parking lots, an irrigation pump station and a dam on Rifle Creek. Environmental education components include outdoor classrooms and opportunities to teach the community about stream health, hydrology, native vegetation, and wildlife. Gateways to the park will be located at 3rd Street, 5th Street and Railroad Avenue.

ARRA Project Will Improve I-70 Interchange at Palisade

In September, the Colorado Dept. of Transportation began safety improvements to the Interstate 70 interchange at Palisade.

It is the fourth ARRA-funded construction project to move forward in CDOT’s Region 3.

Work at the interchange involves lengthening the eastbound I-70 on-ramp approximately 500 ft to allow motorists more distance to safely merge into 75-mph traffic. The project will also construct 1,500 ft of “debris fencing” on the north side of the interstate, as well as a retention basin on the south side, to help reduce the impacts of flooding and debris flows on the roadway.

The project has received $1.339 million in ARRA funding. United Cos. of Mesa County is the contractor on a $1.106 million contract. The difference covers the total project cost, which includes the construction management, inspection and materials testing by CDOT.

120th Avenue Extension Project Breaks Ground in Broomfield

The $23-million 120th Avenue Connection project broke ground this fall. It will construct a new six-lane road across U.S. 36 to connect 120th Avenue and State Highway 128 in Broomfield. The design-build project funded jointly by the Colorado Dept. of Transportation, the city and county of Broomfield and the Federal Highway Administration will construct two of the three phases required to complete the full realm of improvements.

This first piece of the 120th Avenue Connection will build the new roadway, construct a bridge over 120th Avenue and one over Commerce Street. In addition, several local roads such as Commerce Street, Old Wadsworth Boulevard and 118th Avenue will be realigned to correspond with the new roadway. The RTD park-n-Ride facility at Wadsworth Parkway will also be relocated near the Broomfield Event Center.

Edward Kramer and Sons Inc. is the contractor for the first phase of the project, and HNTB is the design firm. The project is expected to complete in September 2010.

Lutheran Church Remodel Breaks Ground in Broomfield

Construction has begun on the Risen Savior Lutheran Church in Broomfield, which includes new additions and a remodel of the existing church.

The design by Eidos Architects of Denver includes adding new office space for the staff as well as a new kitchen and music area. The project will also include a total remodel of the worship space and narthex.

Pirnack Walters Commercial Contractors of Littleton is the general contractor. The project should be complete in May 2010.

Construction Begins At Denver Union Station

The first construction at Denver Union Station began in September with utility work on Wewatta Street, just west of the Regional Transportation District’s light rail platform at Denver Union Station.

Denver Union Station is part of RTD’s voter-approved FasTracks transit program to expand rail and bus service throughout the RTD service area. FasTracks will redevelop Denver Union Station, build 122 miles of rail transit, including six new commuter rail and light rail lines and extensions of three existing lines; build 18 miles of bus rapid transit service, add 21,000 new parking spaces and redirect bus service to better connect the eight-county district.

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