City Begins New Santa Fe Civic Center

Coronado Wrecking and Salvage has begun demolition of the Sweeney Convention Center, located in downtown Santa Fe at 201 Marcy, in preparation for the new Santa Fe Civic Center. Work will begin on the new $55 million center and parking garage once the demolition is completed.

3D/I is the construction manager of the project, which is expected to be completed in the second half of 2007.

After being lobbied by the local hospitality industry and discussing possible replacement scenarios for over 20 years, Santa Fe City Council members approved a plan for a new civic and conference center, which is expected to add $60 million annually to the local economy. Fentress Bradburn Architects of Denver, teamed with Santa Fe's own Spears Architects, won the national design competition.

The new civic center will contain approximately 72,500 sq. ft. of public, administrative and multi-functional space over two underground, concrete parking levels supporting 512 parking spaces. The facility will emulate the local design vernacular. Textured adobe walls and softly rounded corners help achieve this effect, as do desert earth colors. In keeping with the Pueblo-style, the building features flat roofs of varying heights with rounded wood beams protruding from interior to exterior. The design also includes an open courtyard with a fountain, and flexible meeting areas on the second floor.

Significant construction challenges will include the tight site, traffic and pedestrian control and off-site parking.

The Sweeney Convention Center opened in 1955 as a high school gymnasium, and was converted into the city's convention center in 1979. However, the renovated space didn't meet the needs of many convention organizers, who have lobbied for a new building for many years. The Santa Fe city council recently voted unanimously to approve construction of the new center.

A general contractor has not yet been selected for the project.

Otak Selected to Help Design New Mexico Commuter Rail

The New Mexico Department of Transportation has selected Otak, Inc., a Portland, Oregon-based planning, architecture, design and engineering firm, to assist with the design of a commuter-rail line between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Otak has considerable experience with commuter- and light-rail projects, including
establishing the design of the light-rail stations in Tempe, Arizona, and
Tacoma, Washington.

The Mid-Region Council of Governments, acting on behalf of the NMDOT, selected Otak to assist with improvements and design along more than 15 miles of track between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The team will work with the architectural and engineering firm HDR to plan, obtain environmental clearance for and design the area's commuter-rail service. The rail alignment includes existing track as well as 15 to 18 miles of new track that is expected to be acquired. NMDOT's contract with HDR, for which Otak is a subconsultant, also includes developing new station sites.

Otak's Gary Hartnett, who was instrumental in establishing the sustainable light-rail station design being used in Tempe, Ariz., will be project manager for Otak.

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