PRESS RELEASE
Aspen City Office Building Project to Begin February 4 after 6 Years of Planning
Contact: Mitzi Rapkin, Community Relations Director, 970-920-5082 or Mitzi.rapkin@cityofaspen.com
Aspen, CO – January 17, 2019 – On February 4, the City of Aspen is scheduled to begin initial utilities work and minor demolition activities on the site of its new office building at 425 Rio Grande Place. This work signifies the culmination of over six-years of planning for new City facilities that will meet the service needs of Aspen’s residents, customers, and visitors as well as provide appropriate work space for City employees.
Since the beginning of the planning process the City has sought to reduce taxpayers’ expenses by building on land it owns as opposed to leasing free-market commercial space, consolidate services in downtown Aspen for ease of use by the community, and to improve existing facilities for better public service, improved business processes, and to address accessibility issues.
In November 2018, 57% of Aspen electors voted to locate new City offices at Rio Grande Place and Galena Plaza. The work beginning in early February marks the start of the two-year construction process.
Throughout the project, construction activities will take place between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm Monday through Friday and on Saturday as needed from 9am – 5pm.
The project timeline is expected to be as follows, with work continuous on the site from February 2019 through early 2021:
Phase 1 – Site Preparation and Demolition – February 2019-April 2019
Phase 2 – Utilities and Foundation – April 2019 – June 10, 2019 with some minor follow-up being done during the off-season in the fall
Phase 3 -Vertical Construction – June 2019 – early 2021
The expected completion date is early 2021.
A construction impact map for the first stage of work is attached.
The City is contracted with Shaw Construction for utility work and construction, Charles Cunniffe Architects as its design firm, Concept One Group for owner’s representation, and PR Studio for communication and outreach.
The February construction impacts will include:
- Periodic sidewalk closures and re-routing at the section of sidewalk in front of jobsite (Rio Grande Place).
- Flagmen, traffic cones/barrels, jobsite security fencing, directional signage, concrete barricades will all be utilized to keep the public safe from construction activities.
- Construction noise from equipment and trucks (noise will remain within the limits of CoA construction noise standards).
Project cost of new City offices is estimated at $32 million and anticipated to be funded through a mixture of existing cash and financing through Certificates of Participation. Once the building is completed at Rio Grande in 2021, the City will renovate the current City Hall building, which has an estimated project cost of $13.9 million.
The public can get up-to-date information on the project at www.cityofaspen.com/newcityoffices or by calling the 24-hour City of Aspen hotline at 970-429-1793 by emailing newcityoffices@cityofaspen.com and by signing up for the ‘New City Offices’ newsletter at www.cityofaspen.com then clicking on “Notify Me.”
All neighbors within 300 feet of the project will be receiving letters when significant information about project impacts need to be communicated.
A meet and greet with the project team is scheduled for the public on Friday, February 1, 2019 from 10am to 12pm at the old ACRA space adjacent to the Rio Grande Parking Garage. Coffee and pastries will be served.
A ground breaking for the project is scheduled for Friday, February 8 at 1pm. The public is invited to attend.
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