Andover, MA – Columbia Construction Company is serving as the Construction Contractor on the Andover IRS Modernization Project for the General Services Administration (GSA).
Hosted by GSA’s New England Region, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the IRS Andover campus in November. Glenn C. Rotondo, Acting Regional Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration, welcomed guests followed by remarks from Mark A. Ernst, Deputy Commissioner for Operations, IRS; and Jonathan Levi, Lead Designer/Principal-in-Charge, Jonathan Levi Architects. Other team members in attendance included URS, Construction Manager; and Burt Hill Architects.
Funding for this project was made possible by the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, the mission to renovate the Andover campus was formalized by a Strategic Campus Action Team (SCAT) in 1999. This strategic partnership between the GSA and the IRS was created to identify and address the long-term needs of the 10 IRS campuses located nationwide.
The Andover campus was cited as a high priority due to its aging infrastructure. The roughly 400,000sf federal tax Submission Processing Center built in 1967 was designed to support operations based on paper processing.
Renovations will be completed in two phases, each lasting about 16-18 months. Striving for a LEED Silver rating, the building has been designed to create a sustainable, efficient and livable workplace for IRS employees.
Some of the key features of the building and surrounding campus include glass roof panels to provide abundant natural lighting; solar panels; geothermal heating and cooling to replace the existing systems; interior and exterior courtyards consisting of winter and summer gardens; a café; a lunch pavilion; and a fitness center. The program also includes an assembly room; a training complex, conference rooms, and a data center.
