(County) Building Up and Out – A Look at 2016
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What’s new, what’s going up, coming down, expanding out and getting a facelift? Depends on the building but the County is always working to modernize and improve our facilities so we can provide better customer service in more functional and efficient spaces. Hundreds of employees will see changes in their workplaces in 2016 – maybe even you!
Here are a few highlights:
Openings
South Bay Family Resource Center
Scheduled Move: April 2016
Project: Staff will move from a leased facility on Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista to a newer and larger leased facility in National City. The Family Resource Center will be consolidated with new offices for Military and Veterans, Child Support and In-Home Supportive Services. The new South Bay center will provide more than 87,000 square feet for these services.
COC Fleet Facility/Parking StructureB
Scheduled Opening: May 2016
Project: Fleet Services will move into a new facility inside an 839-space parking structure going up east of the Registrar of Voters building at the County Operations Center. The parking structure will be similar in height but about half the size of existing Parking Structure A near the Commons conference center and café. The old Fleet Services building will be demolished this summer to make way for the construction of the new crime lab.
A rendering of the new office space and parking garage for Fleet Services.
Scheduled Opening: May 2016
Project: The opening of the new library branch in Alpine will mark the County’s first zero net energy (ZNE) building which means the facility will produce as much renewable energy as it uses in a year. The new library will measure 12,700 square feet, more than four times larger than the current leased space. Among the many new features: a reading area complete with a fireplace and outdoor terrace reading areas overlooking the adjoining park.
A rendering of the Alpine library.
Scheduled Opening: Late 2016
Project: With the move to temporary quarters in November, the existing library branch is being knocked down to make way for a new 14,000-square-foot ZNE facility that will be three times the size of the current building. The project includes a 2,000-square-foot community room to replace the smaller City of Imperial Beach community room on land being donated by the City to support the new facility.
A rendering of the new Imperial Beach library.
Sheriff’s Crime Lab
Scheduled Completion: Summer 2018
Project: Construction is scheduled to begin this summer on a new 151,000-square-foot facility at the County Operations Center to house a new crime lab, space for Sheriff’s property and evidence materials, and administrative offices. The new project will move the crime lab closer to the Medical Examiner’s office.
Santa Ysabel Nature Center
Scheduled Completion: Late 2018
Project: Build a 6,500 square-foot nature center for the Santa Ysabel Preserves off Highway 79 in Santa Ysabel. The building will include space for interpretive and educational exhibits, a room for weddings and other events for up to 100 people, Wi-Fi, restrooms, offices, an information area and more.
Housing and Community Development
Scheduled Completion: Spring 2017
Project: The current 29,000-square-foot building will be taken down to the studs and completely renovated. Staff will move to a temporary location in April and stay up to a year before moving back into the reconfigured building complete with new mechanical and electrical systems.
24/7 Library to Go Kiosks:
Scheduled Completion: Summer 2016
Project: Install new 24/7 Library to Go kiosks in Encinitas, Boulevard and Chula Vista. Two kiosks are already in operation, one at the County Operations Center and one in Bonsall.
Child Welfare Services:
Scheduled Completion: Late 2016
Project: A Letter of Intent has been signed for the lease of a new 47,000 square-foot headquarters building for Child Welfare Services in Kearny Mesa, consolidating operations currently in a County-owned building in Linda Vista and a lease space in Kearny Mesa.
Major Renovations and Remodeling:
East Mesa Detention Facility Complex: Starting spring 2016, retrofit and renovate former Corrections Corporation of America detention facility to bring it into the County detention system.
Mills Building: Remodel and reconfigure five floors to varying degrees for improved operations for HHSA staff.
Solana Beach Library: The branch is a shared facility with the Earl Warren Middle School. General Services is working with theSan Dieguito Union High School to provide a new meeting room and Library expansion and updates.
El Cajon Family Resource Center: Remodel to update the facility.
Planning Stages
Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk El Cajon Branch Office: Build a new, larger facility in Santee for improved services.
Pine Valley Fire Station: Starting early 2017, replace the existing facility with a new one featuring sleeping quarters and four bays for emergency vehicles.
Borrego Springs Library and Community Park: Starting in early 2017, construction will begin on a new 14,000-square-foot library branch that will be six times the size of the current leased facility. The project includes a 16-acre community park on neighboring Parks property.
Kettner/Beech Property: Proposals are being reviewed for development of the vacant land adjoining the Cedar/Kettner parking structure site for a private residential and commercial project with construction possibly starting in 2018.
Probation Ohio Street Relocation: General Services is looking for a 23,000 to 50,000 square-foot building in southeast San Diego to relocate the current adult probation facility on Ohio Street.
Southeast Family Resource Center: General Services is seeking a site for the relocation of the existing FRC and consolidation with other agency functions to better serve the community in a Southeast San Diego Outreach Facility. Depending on site options, the Probation facility above could be co-located in the center.
North Coastal Regional Center: Construct a new 36,000-square-foot facility on the existing Regional Center/Public Health Center site to consolidate multiple agency functions such as behavioral health, public health and administration in one place. A site search is underway for a larger north coastal FRC as well.
For more information on planned and proposed constructions projects, see General Services’ Current Capital Projects List.