Barnhart completes Fontana library

Barnhart, Inc. has completed construction of the Lewis Library and Technology Center for the city of Fontana.

Barnhart was the general contractor on the 93,000-sq-ft, two-story library, which was constructed over a 157-vehicle parking garage. The library collection contains approximately 120,000 items, including 5,000 reference items, 12,000 media items and 720 current periodical subscriptions. Study rooms, computer laboratories, career and literacy centers, public meeting rooms, and a 330 seat auditorium complement the facility.
 
RNL Design Architects designed a modern adaptation of the California mission style motif for the library. JCM Heery performed construction management services for the City. The project is seeking LEED certification.

The old Fontana library, operated by the county of San Bernardino, served an estimated 180,000 people out of a 13,058-sq-ft building originally built in 1963.

B&G, PCL begin work on Fehlman LaBarre-designed office project

Construction has started on the Nolen, a mixed-use office development in San Diego’s Ballpark District.

San Diego-based B&G Consultants is providing construction management services and PCL is the contractor.

The 13-floor project was designed by San Diego-based Fehlman LaBarre Architects Inc. and is located on a 5,000-sq-ft site next to Hotel Solamar. The project will house retail shops on the bottom floor and offices on the top 12 floors.

Davies Development & Investments, Inc., a San Diego-based developer, is the owner for the project.

Each office tenant at The Nolen will occupy an entire floor and will have private, password-protected elevator access. Four of the floors in the building are pre-sold.

The top five floors will feature private balconies; all floors have floor to ceiling windows; and upper floors have views of the ballpark and San Diego Bay across to Coronado. The building is expected to open in the first half of 2009.

Gensler, Turner Set to Start SFO Terminal Renovation Project this fall

Gensler and Turner Construction have a fall start date on a $383 million renovation of San Francisco International Airport’s old international terminal.

Terminal 2 served as the airport’s international terminal until December 2000 when the current international terminal opened. The airport had originally planned to begin renovation and conversion of terminal 2 to domestic operations in the fall of 2001, but the downturn in airport traffic following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 deferred the project indefinitely.

Since 2003, SFO has experienced a 22% growth in passenger traffic. As a result of this increase in traffic and the addition of several new air carriers, including three new domestic carriers in 2007 (Virgin America, JetBlue and Southwest), the Airport Commission has decided to launch the renovation project.

The new terminal, which will add four gates to its current total of 10, will handle additional domestic service.

Currently, the terminal is housing offices for the San Francisco Airport Commission and Federal Aviation Administration staff, and the airport’s medical clinic.

The project includes seismic retrofitting of the boarding and concourse areas, in addition to replacing the aging FAA Air Traffic Control Tower.

Besides seismic upgrading, the project includes replacing exterior cladding, roofing and interior surfaces; installing new passenger loading bridges, aircraft systems and hydrant fueling; upgrading and replacing mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and conveyances; installing new in-line explosive detection system baggage handling system; infilling openings at boarding area and concourse; adding departures-level bump-out to accommodate concessions plan and gate room space requirements; widening the concourse to accommodate retail development; and preparing core/shell for concession space.

The project will focus on LEED silver certification. Features will include solid waste reduction/source separation achieving up to 30% water use efficiency, recycling up to 75% of demolition waste, achieving an energy efficiency of up to 7% over the minimum standard, use of low VOC paint and certified wood, use of green products (carpets, insulation, adhesives), providing preferential parking for hybrid cars, and requiring vendors to obtain Green Business Certification from San Mateo County.

The design-build project is expected to take two years to complete.

Terminal 2 was opened in 1954.

HGA, C.W. Driver begin CSUN Performing Arts Center

Construction has begun on the California State University, Northridge Performing Arts Center.

The 163,000-sq-ft center was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers and is being built by Pasadena-based C.W. Driver.

The facility has a construction cost of $98 million and a project cost of $125 million.

Expected to serve as a cultural hub for the university, the San Fernando Valley and the greater Los Angeles area, the center will host a range of performances, from orchestra to opera, theater and Broadway shows, dance, film, lectures, and student productions.

The Performing Arts Center will include a 1,700-seat, multi-purpose concert hall, 250-seat black box theatre, backstage support, classrooms, 150-seat lecture room, rehearsal and events space, and a new broadcast facility for KCSN public radio.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

Johnson & Jennings completes tenant improvements for San Diego office

San Diego-based Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed tenant improvement construction for the new offices of AVID Center in San Diego.

The project team included architect Stephen DiGiacomo of Gensler San Diego, construction manager Dean Petersen of Irving Hughes, and senior project manager Carl Haines and project superintendent Sonny Tucker from Johnson & Jennings General Contracting.

The scope of work for Johnson & Jennings included 32,000 sq ft of tenant improvements spanning two floors of the San Diego Spectrum building. The project entailed the construction of a conference center, executive office space and meeting rooms. Extensive use of stone flooring, specialized cabinetry, interior windows, upgraded lighting and graphic finishes were part of the build-out.

Subcontractors included Spooner’s Woodworks, American Insulations, McBride Door & Hardware, Russell Glass, Interior Specialties, East County Tile, B&B Acoustics, Howard’s Rug Co., Quality Painting & Wallcovering, Partition Specialties, Custom Interiors by Yigael, Schmidt Fire, Control Air, KMP Plumbing and Dynalectric.