News Release Archive

Reclamation announces $10.9 million in ARRA funding for green office building in Boulder City, Nevada

Media Contact: Colleen Dwyer , (702) 293-8420, cdwyer@usbr.gov

For Release: April 20, 2010

BOULDER CITY, NEV. - The Bureau of Reclamation, an agency of the Department of the Interior, has awarded a $10,974,264 contract to the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. of Baltimore under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Whiting-Turner will design and construct an approximately 45,000 square-foot building on property Reclamation owns in Boulder City. The new building will house the Boulder Canyon Operations Office and additional staff from Reclamation's Lower Colorado Regional Office and will consolidate three existing buildings that have inefficient energy and water systems, and seismic, hazardous materials and accessibility issues. It will be designed to achieve a Gold rating as established by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

"This building will provide appropriate and safe working spaces for approximately 160 Reclamation employees in Boulder City, which is headquarters for the Lower Colorado Region," said Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor. "It also will result in the consolidation of all Reclamation employees in Boulder City into two central locations, promoting collaboration, reducing maintenance and energy costs as well as vehicle travel and related fuel costs."

Boulder City, located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was created to house the workers building Hoover Dam. About 320 Reclamation employees currently work in Boulder City, at four separate office locations.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was enacted in 2009 provided $3 billion to the Department of the Interior.

The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President's plan to jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA, Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures - our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of our culture and heritage - while helping American families and their communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting community service.

"With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Department's economic recovery projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on www.recovery.gov and on www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely with Interior's Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and transparency set by President Obama.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.