After more than 10 years of preparation, construction is slated to begin on a state-of-the-art medical complex in Lancaster.

Los Angeles County officials joined City officials Monday for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new High Desert Health System Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center (MACC). The complex will be constructed on a 15-acre site on Avenue I near 3^rd Street in east Lancaster.

“What we’re taking here is an area that was really a deplorable drug-infested area that’s going to be changed,” said County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. “We’re going to have legal drugs to help people and a facility that is going to help mend lives.”

“This new MACC will be a much more accessible building, with much more of the kind of technology and specialty care that we want to be able to deliver,” said Dr. Mitchell Katz, Director of the County Department of Health Services.

The High Desert MACC Complex will consist of a new ambulatory care facility to house a large ambulatory surgical center, adult and pediatric primary care clinics, an urgent care clinic, a women’s clinic, and medical and surgical subspecialty clinics, all totaling approximately 142,000 square feet.

“This particular facility is incredible,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “The intelligence of this building is truly phenomenal because it’s designed to stop disease before they get to the emergency room, and it’s all the state-of-the-art ways to do that.”

In addition to serving as a primary care medical hub, the MACC will provide a comprehensive range of outpatient medical services, including outpatient surgery and an urgent care clinic.

Special programs that will be housed at the MACC will include the Antelope Valley Hope Center HIV/AIDS Clinic, the regional Foster Care HUB Clinic, the SCAN clinic for children who are suspected victims of sexual or physical abuse, an oncology clinic and disease management programs for patients with diabetes and asthma.

Construction on the project is slated to begin Wednesday and will last for two years.

“We look for it to be open in July of 2014,” said Antonovich, adding that the clinic will have the capacity to provide services for up to 125,000 patient visits per year.

Once completed, the MACC will be the first county medical building to be eligible for Leadership in Energy and Design (LEED) Gold Certification.

“It’s going to be a monument to demonstrate the Board of Supervisors’ leadership and commitment to sustainable building practices and environmentally responsible energy and water use,” said County Public Works Director Gail Farber.

Farber said some of the state-of-the-art features include green technologies to control the air temperature inside the facility, recycled water for irrigation and renewable energy made available through solar trees and wind turbines located on the site.

Parris said the project is one of the most important things happening in LA County today.

At Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Parris labeled the project “one of the most important things happening in LA County today,” and praised Antonovich and County staff for holding on to the $140-plus million dollars needed to fund the project.

“How did they hold on to that project in this economy? Could you imagine the forces trying to suck that money away?” Parris said. “It took a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of effort, all of his [Antonovich] energies to hold on to this and make this a reality. It’s because of a lot of people, but leading those people was Mike Antonovich, and thousands of people are going to be alive because of it.”

The project is being constructed by Swinerton Builders Los Angeles. The project was first approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2002, according to Tony Bell, Communications Deputy for Supervisor Michael Antonovich.

Original Source: http://www.theavtimes.com/2012/01/30/groundbreaking-held-for-multi-service-ambulatory-care-center/

On January 12th Swinerton joined Rabobank, N.A., Five Crowns Marketing staff and community members at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new photovoltaic project at the Five Crowns Cooling Facility. Located in Brawley, California, this distributed generation project will generate all of the primary energy requirements of one of the largest agricultural cooling facilities in Southern California. The system is designed to offset 85% of three separate meters, through a combination of a 215kW roof mount system and 2MW fixed tilt racking system, and utilizes Yingli Solar modules and Advanced Energy inverters.

Swinerton began construction of the project in early October and achieved commercial operation by December 30th, allowing the project to qualify for the Federal 1603 Grant Program and 100% accelerated depreciation for the client. Rabobank, N.A., a community bank that provides solar financing to California farms and businesses, provided the construction and term financing to Five Crowns Marketing for the project.

The success of this project has already lead to additional opportunities with Five Crowns Marketing and within the Imperial Valley. With over three gigawatts of power generation and solar expertise Swinerton Builders Renewable Energy offers turn-key power solutions for utility scale and distributed generation projects across the United States.

About Swinerton: The Swinerton Family of Companies provides commercial construction and construction management services throughout the Western United States and is a 100% employee-owned company. Recognized nationally since 1888, Swinerton Builders Renewable Energy was established to provide single-point responsibility from start to finish and is focused exclusively on building best-in-class solar systems that are cost-effective and will provide clean power for many years to come. For more information on Swinerton, visit their blog SwinertonBuildsTomorrow, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and LinkedIn.

About Rabobank, N.A.: Rabobank, N.A. is a California community bank that provides personalized service and a full array of quality products, including solar financing to farms, businesses and public organizations. With nearly 120 retail branches, Rabobank, N.A. serves the needs of communities from Redding to the Imperial Valley through a regional structure that promotes local decision making and active community involvement by their employees. For more information, visit www.rabobankamerica.com

 Contact Information: Meggie DoscherEmail Contact Swinerton Incorporated 260 Townsend Street San Francisco, CA 94107 415.984.1202

The portfolio of projects is financed with a combination of debt and equity, which includes a significant equity investment from Google in addition to equity from SunTap Energy RE LLC (“SunTap”), a new venture formed today by KKR to invest in solar projects in the U.S.

“The investment is a clear demonstration of solar’s ability to attract private capital from well-established investors like Google and KKR,” said Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy. “This transaction provides an example of the direction solar is headed as a viable, mainstream part of our energy economy.”

The four solar PV facilities included in the transaction will provide 88 MW of power to SMUD and were the first to be awarded as part of the utility’s feed-in tariff program introduced in January 2010. Construction on three of the Sacramento, CA, area projects will be complete early in 2012, with the fourth coming online later in the year. The projects are expected to generate nearly 160,000,000 kWh in their first year of operation, which is roughly equivalent to offsetting the electricity consumption of more than 13,000 average U.S. homes.

Google’s investment in these projects brings its total invested to more than $915 million in renewable energy projects. The company has invested in a wide range of technologies, from transmission to the world’s largest wind and solar power tower projects. This represents Google’s first investment in the U.S. in utility scale solar PV.

“Google’s commitment to clean energy continues to be a core value for the company,” said Axel Martinez, Assistant Treasurer at Google. “Over the past 18 months, Google has made investments in the sector that not only help deploy hundreds of megawatts of sustainable power, but also enable new and exciting business opportunities. We’re excited to be supporting KKR’s entrance into the renewable energy sector in the U.S. We hope the sector continues to attract new sources of capital.”

“Recurrent Energy is a leading solar developer and Google embodies innovation,” said Raj Agrawal, head of KKR’s North American Infrastructure team. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with these two leaders to serve SMUD with a substantial and reliable new source of renewable energy and to contribute to our country’s vast growth in clean energy resources.”

SunTap is KKR’s third renewable energy investment in 2011 and its first renewable investment in the U.S. Other recent transactions include investments in Sorgenia, a leading French wind park operator and T-Solar, a leading solar energy company in Spain. Over the last year, KKR has made five infrastructure investments, which, with the creation of SunTap, total over $1.5 billion in invested capital.

To establish SunTap, KKR committed $95 million line of equity, a portion of which will be drawn for this investment. The rest of the equity will be invested in similar projects.

Source: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111220005263/en/Google-KKR-Partner-Acquire-Portfolio-Solar-PV

“We demand a resolution to this trade dispute before irreparable damage is done to the great progress that has been made in the domestic solar industry towards making affordable solar energy a reality,” said George Hershman, Vice President of Swinerton Builders Renewable Energy and a new CASE member from one of the nation’s longest established and most reputable construction companies. “We have over 1,100 employees working across the country who would be negatively impacted by higher solar panel prices. Let’s not move backwards when together we can and should be making huge strides forward.”

CASE member companies employ solar professionals across every major region and in more than two dozen states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia, among others.

“The rapid price reduction of solar panels in the last year has opened up new markets in the U.S. where solar was not previously cost competitive with grid power,” says Joe Bono, CEO of Solar Universe, a new CASE member representing 200 jobs. “This is an opportunity for more jobs and lower utility bills, a trend America needs.”

“The solar industry is uniting in its opposition to SolarWorld’s actions, which threaten to stall decades of solar industry growth and development.” said Jigar Shah, co-founder of CASE and founder of SunEdison. We cannot prioritize 3% of American solar industry jobs over the remaining 97%. We cannot prioritize the fate of one company over the success of one of America’s fastest growing industries, particularly given its strategic importance to our nation’s future.”

To learn more about the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE), please visit our website: www.coalition4affordablesolar.org .

SOURCE Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy

The award is in the category of cities with populations from 100,001 to 200,000. Engineering Director for the City, Don Hoppe, said the award is very gratifying and that his staff is “thrilled with the final results of the project. The library has been expanded and renovated to meet the community’s needs for the next 15 to 20 years.”

Scope of work in the nearly 40-year-old building consisted of updating technology, including the new automated book check-in equipment and extensive on-line connection capability, as well as new landscaping that will save the city tens of thousands of gallons of water over the next two decades.

“The exterior face of the building along Commonwealth Avenue, previously a simple unwelcoming masonry block wall, has been ‘activated’ by virtue of the dozen new windows that bring the inside of the building out to pedestrians and motorists,” Hoppe said.

The project, which officially opened to much acclaim in July, consisted of an approximate 56,000-square-foot renovation and refurbishment of existing library space, adding needed community, local history, technology, and teen service areas, giving the library an overall facelift.

The 6,000-square-foot expansion included the addition of a large community meeting room, kitchen, café space, and bookstore.

The used bookstore is operated by the non-profit organization Friends of the Fullerton Public Library as a fundraiser to support library services.

This $10-million library expansion/renovation project  was completed with our teaming partner Griffin Structures and made possible through redevelopment bond funds issued by the Fullerton Redevelopment Agency.

To read more, visit the link below:

http://fullertonstories.com/library-expansion-named-%E2%80%982011-facility-of-the-year%E2%80%99/

SBG Poses on Denim Day (Nov 10th) with a Check for Funds Raised for the WWP

Beyond being a builder, the Swinerton Family of Companies believes that as a company and corporate family, it is their duty to participate in the betterment of the communities in which they live and work, and support causes that are close to their employees’ hearts. In honor of lives lost defending our nation on the eve of the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, the Swinerton Builders Government (SBG) team kicked off Operation Denim Day, a two-month campaign leading up to Veterans Day.

Operation Denim Day is a fundraising effort created by SBG in support of the Wounded Warriors Program (WWP), which assists and advocates for severely wounded, ill, and injured soldiers, veterans, and their families. The fundraising effort provided Swinerton employees an opportunity to donate a minimum of $5.00 towards WWP, which then entitled them to wear their jeans to work on November 10th. With a commitment from The Swinerton Foundation (their 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization) to match employee donations up to $5,000, SBG challenged all employees to band together to maximize the donation match.

Each week during the two-month campaign an email was sent out to employees with an internet link to a video featuring the history and story of a soldier who has been helped by the WWP. In the final week of Operation Denim Day, SBG took time to thank veterans, which included several Swinerton employees.

SBG is proud to announce that Operation Denim Day was a huge success, raising a total of $6,483. Added to the $5,000 matching donation from the Foundation a total donation was made to the Wounded Warriors Program in the amount of $11,583.

The Swinerton Foundation was created by the Swinerton Family of Companies to unify their philanthropic efforts, to promote community benefit, and to encourage employees to donate time and money to local charitable organizations. The Foundation is a reflection of their employees and their values, and exists because of them. SBG conceptualized and realized Operation Denim Day, and received the full support of The Swinerton Foundation. In their own way, Swinerton is making a difference in the world.

Swinerton Builders took first place in the Safety Awards of Excellence as a General Contractor with over 1 Million Worker Hours. HMH walked away with second place in the Building Division: 500,000 – 1,000,000 Worker Hours category. Our low incident and injury rates and excellent safety programs are at the heart of our success as a company. Our safety standards are appreciated by our peers and professional organizations in the construction industry.

And finally, a merit longtime deserved, Corporate Safety Manager Gena Roberts was honored as the Harry Eckstein 24th Annual Safety Professional of the Year. In her role, Gena has serviced multiple Northern California divisions and currently also oversees Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon. Her unrelenting efforts and dedication have finally paid off with one of the most prestigious awards in the safety profession. Gena is a very deserving recipient of this award!

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to the success and safety on our projects. Without you, we would not have earned these awards.

Maintenance Facility for RTD's Light Rail System Previously Built by Swinerton

Transportation District (RTD). Through these wins not only will Swinerton be developing infrastructure but also building local business by partnering with several DBE firms in the Denver area on the new projects.

Both projects are four-story parking structures that will serve riders of the RTD FasTracks West Corridor light rail system and the existing RTD bus system. In Lakewood, the new Wadsworth Boulevard Parking Structure will provide riders 1,000 parking spaces, while the new Sheridan Boulevard Parking Structure in Denver will accommodate 800 vehicles.

The design-build team on both projects includes Structural Engineer, S.A. Miro; Architect, Gensler; M/E/P/F Engineer, BCER Engineering; and Parking Design, Parking Consultants, LLC. Swinerton is also partnering with several local SBE/DBE firms on the projects, including: Civil Technology, Inc; Three Sixty Design; GeoCal; HCL Engineering & Surveying, LLC; Interactive Elements Incorporated; Pinyon Environment Engineering Resources, Inc; and Sky-to-Ground, LLC.

10th & Market

Swinerton Builders has gotten the green light to start work on a long-stalled 749-unit apartment complex at 10th and Market Streets [in San Francisco, California].

The $200 million apartment project, being developed by Crescent Heights, is a central piece of the city’s plan to bring new activity and investment into the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood. The development, originally for-sale condos, was shelved before the recession started in 2008; it was redesigned as apartments last year.

“We got the notice to proceed today,” said Jeffrey Hoopes, president of Swinerton. “Tomorrow we will be moving trailers in and putting up fencing.”

The project will bring significant relief to the ranks of the city’s construction trades, which have struggled with double-digit unemployment for three years. The 10th and Market project will be built all at once, rather than phased, and will be the largest new housing development in San Francisco since the recession started in 2008.

“It’s pretty exciting. We’ve been waiting for some of the larger projects to start,” said Hoopes. “At the peak there will be 800 workers on that site.”

Swinerton is also the general contractor on phase two of Angelo Sangiacomo’s Trinity Place, a 417-unit rental project at Eighth and Mission. The two developments represent 1167 new Mid-Market housing units. Earlier this year the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a Mid-Market payroll tax break in an effort to lure tech firms to the area. The geographically target tax break resulted in Twitter’s announcement that it was moving to 1355 Market St., the former San Francisco Furniture Mart building.

Glenn Rescalvo of Handel Architects, who also worked on the Millennium project at First and Mission streets, designed the revised project.

Article originally from the San Francisco Business Times – Please click the link for the original article: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2011/11/biggest-sf-apartment-project-in.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sanfrancisco_morning_call+%28SFBT+Morning+Call%29

With four of our projects finishing at the top of a very competitive field, congratulations are in order to everyone involved on these projects that made them a success in the first place:

Best Multi-Family Residential/Hospitality Project: Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences, ENR Mountain States

Best Healthcare Project: Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa Hospital Campus Expansion, ENR California

Green Building Award of Merit: NASA Ames Research Center Sustainability Base, ENR California

Specialty Contracting Award of Merit: Kaiser La Mesa Solar, ENR California

An additional thanks go to all those who took the time to help put together each award submission. We look forward to submitting (and winning) more Best Projects Awards next year!