2 Projects in 1

Food and Ag Building Undergoing $12.9 Million Renovation, Retrofit

By Thomas York

Before renovation began in June on the Department of Food and Agriculture building at 1220 N St. in Sacramento, government officials were adamant about preserving many of the interior period details in the four-story, 68-year-old structure.

To that end, J.R. Roberts Corp., the Citrus Heights-based general contractor, and architect Dean F. Unger, AIA, Inc., of Sacramento spent a good deal of time in pre-construction to ensure that black tile and marble finishes in the lobby and brushed aluminum handrails in the stairwells were incorporated into the renovated structure.

The results have been "so far, so good," said Doug Visser, project manager for J.R. Roberts. Despite having to work around sensitive historic zones like the building's elevator lobby, construction is on time and on budget, he said.

"We have to go in and cover [the tile and marble] to protect them from our construction activity," Visser added. "It's time consuming, and that's the worst aspect of it, but it's worth it."

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The $12.9 million project, contracted by the state Department of General Services, includes a seismic retrofit-designed by Sacramento-based Buehler and Buehler Structural Engineers Inc.-and abatement of hazardous materials, performed by Sacramento-based Parc Specialty Contractors. It also features general tenant improvement work to bring all systems up to current state codes.

Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura and his staff moved to the fourth-floor annex and the Marketing Services division moved to 560 J St. in early 2003. The project will be completed in February.

Project engineer Jason Oliver of Buehler & Buehler said seismic work included construction of shear walls to provide additional vertical support and installation of 100 micro, or pin, piles, in the concrete basement floor. The concrete floor plates had to be tied to vertical walls using glass and carbon FRP sheets, a technology similar to that used in boat building. In addition, shotcrete was applied to the concrete window piers to strengthen the building's walls.

Oliver said the reinforcements won't prevent damage to the building or the contents in event of an earthquake, but would allow building occupants to exit the building safely.

Irreplaceable interior Project architect Bruce Unger said designers had to figure out how to preserve the irreplaceable interior details of the building.

"The outside of the building is really nothing" but the inside was another story, Unger said. "The front lobby has the original tile, plus plaster finishes, and the original marble around ornate elevator doors. Whenever you do a comprehensive seismic retrofit, you have to juggle the needs of the state historian, and then figure out how to put in a retrofit with sensitive historic zones within the building."

The building, which has been listed in the State Register of Historic Structures, was constructed in 1936 to house the state headquarters of the California Highway Patrol.

Unger said the no-thrills Art Moderne exterior reflects the austere financial realities of the Great Depression. Nevertheless, the state was able to add finishes that make the building a modest gem of the period. Many of the corner offices feature their own washrooms, which will be preserved during the renovation.

Robb Deignan, a spokesman for the Department of General Services, said the renovation adheres to a general policy of "maintaining the historic nature of government buildings when it comes to public spaces." The structure is one of four similar structures built in the late 1930s, which are located on streets facing the state Capitol.

"Office workers on the north side of the renovated building have great views of the Capitol," Deignan said.