Seattle FOB ABAAS Upgrades and HUD/DOL Space Build-out (Bid-Build)

Project Summary
Project Name:    ABAAS UPGRADES and DOL/HUD TI SPACE BUILD-OUT
Project Number: EQ10PCPB1-21-0016
Region: NORTHWEST / ARCTIC [Region 10]
Building Name: SEATTLE FEDERAL OFFICE BUILDING [WA0036ZZ]
Building Address: 909 1st AVENUE, SEATTLE WA  98104

The United States General Services Administration requires construction services to enable the Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Labor (DOL) agencies in Seattle to down-size and meet their OMB footprint utilization rate (UR) targets. This project also requires construction services to bring the Seattle Federal Office Building (FOB) into ABAAS (Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards) compliance, in accordance with GSA policies and directives relative to Capital-Funded Repair and Alteration (R&A) projects.

The Historic Seattle Federal Office Building (FOB) was constructed in 1931 - 1933 and was the first building in Seattle specifically designed for offices of the federal government. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  All work and workers are required to comply with the Secretary of Interior's Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The Contractor is required to coordinate all construction activities with the GSA Historic Preservation Office.

The FOB is a Modern Art Deco architectural style with a distinct stepped massing and facades. Art Deco qualities of the design are enhanced by the cascading effect provided by light-colored terra cotta decoration applied as vertical fluting to the parapets atop the red brick-faced facades. The FOB has nine (9) floors as well as a partial basement level. It is a frame of concrete encased steel beams and columns and is supported on wood piles with concrete pile caps. The roof is multi-tiered, cascading down symmetrically from the 9-story central tower fronting 1st Ave to the two 5-story wings extending west along Madison St. and Marion St.  Exterior walls are faced with masonry. Interior walls are constructed of hollow-clay and hollow terra cotta tile faced with plaster.

The exterior is currently under renovation; specific areas of work are the exterior brick, granite, terra cotta and aluminum panel restoration; roof replacement; and window restoration. Expected completion of the exterior renovation is March 2022.

Project Goals and Objectives:

HUD is currently located in the (FOB) occupying 67,360 USF on the lower level, 1st-4th & 6th floors. The goal is for HUD to consolidate and occupy the entire 3rd floor, and part of the 4th floor, and therefore reduce HUD’s space to ~30,534 USF. HUD will reduce space by 45% with future rent costs savings.

DOL is currently located in the Seattle 5th and Yesler Building (leased space) occupying 74,832 USF.  This project proposes to reduce DOL space to ~28,000 USF relocating the agency to the FOB Building, to occupy part of the lower level, part of the 1st floor, and all of the 2nd floor.

The FOB is not ABAAS compliant. This project also includes bringing the FOB into ABAAS compliance, including the existing ABAAS entrance, and installation of new restrooms on each floor. A lactation room will also be constructed as part of this project.  

The overall goal is to utilize a highly collaborative Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) approach for this project (ABAAS Upgrades and DOL/HUD TI Space Build-out).  Accordingly, the Contractor must work closely with all the stakeholders to deliver a project that: meets the expectations and needs of all stakeholders; avoids disruptions to the tenants’ ongoing operations and well-being; and satisfies GSA’s requirements for a high performing building and tenant spaces.

Care must be exercised when considering construction phasing and any potential project impact(s) to the means of egress and egress pathways from occupied space to the building exits.  At no time during the project must there be less than (2) means of egress from any space to building exits.  Space access and means of egress & egress pathways must be maintained throughout the project that satisfy ABAAS and GSA Fire, Life, Safety code requirements. This is of critical importance given the expectation that the project occurs within a fully occupied and functional Federal Office Building.

The Contractor must work with GSA and the larger Project Delivery Team to ensure that the project:

Complies with all project requirements, including (but not limited to) GSA PBS P-100 standards (Baseline, unless noted otherwise)
ABAAS upgrades to the building
Minimizes impact to tenants and public users
Maintains an adequate, code compliant number and proper configuration of access and egress pathways throughout the facility, including within tenant spaces, during and after construction
Maintains/upgrades the facility features impacted by project work to be ABAAS compliant

The DOL/HUD TI Space Build-out project’s Substantial Completion Date (SCD) is established as No-Later-Than (NLT) 15-Aug-2023, in order to permit DOL’s subsequent full occupancy of their newly renovated/constructed space, and to vacate their existing
leased location, prior to their existing lease expiration date. This SCD date for DOL’s TI Space Build-out is a critical driving factor for the project’s schedule.