City of Atlanta CDP

18 General Government Facilities

Introduction

General government facilities are those City-owned and/or City-operated structures and grounds that provide the City with office, storage, maintenance, court, community-center, and gathering space for the carrying out of community and government functions.  These facilities are not named under specific functional elements in this document.

Current Conditions

General Government facilities include the City Hall Complex, which is comprised of City Hall (68 Mitchell St. and 155 Trinity St.); 260 Central Ave.; 104 Trinity Ave.; and 180 Memorial Dr.

Other facilities include City Hall East, twelve (12) maintenance facilities, three (3) neighborhood facilities and the 818 Washington St. building.  A replacement neighborhood center is in development at the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic site.  The Office of General Services has management responsibility for many of the general government facilities.

Vehicle Maintenance Facilities

There are twelve (12) vehicle maintenance facilities throughout the city.  The Division of Motor Transport Services is the service center for all city-owned vehicles and motorized equipment utilizes these facilities. (see  Map 18.1 ‘General Government Facilities’).

City’s Surplus Property Yard

The City maintains a facility for storing surplus motorized equipment at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.  A larger area was obtained at the Airport in 1997 for this facility.  The larger area is further south on Loop Road, near Building G and an airport fire station.

Assessment

City Hall Complex, City Hall East, Four Neighborhood Centers, and Municipal Court

Some of the facilities in this category are centrally and strategically located.  For example, the City Hall complex and Municipal Court are in the central business district (CBD), having easy access from major thoroughfares.  City Hall East is on a main artery (Ponce de Leon Avenue) and is easily accessible during most hours of the day.  The neighborhood centers are strategically located and are accessible to the neighborhoods and communities they serve.

The total square footage of these facilities is in excess of three million square feet.  The purchase of City Hall East included 1.8 million square feet of space.  Other city agencies currently not housed at City Hall are being placed at City Hall East, with considerable savings to the City, of money that would have been spent to lease office space.

City Court and Municipal Court both have increased space needs.  A new City Court facility is under construction with an anticipated completion date of early 2004.  Parking continues to be a concern at all of the facilities.  Alternative means of commuting to City facilities are being explored for both employees and citizens.

Structurally all the facilities are in the fair-good condition range, however, mechanically the building systems are aging, leading to deteriorated performance and/or failures.  The overall condition of the facilities in this category will require various degrees of long- and short-term solutions.  The Office of General Services maintains the grounds and buildings in the City Hall complex.  Any additions or alterations to these buildings are made under the supervision of that office.  In 1989, the Office of General Services assumed maintenance responsibility for the four neighborhood centers.  These centers lease space to social-service agencies that provide needed services to area residents. 

Vehicle Maintenance Facilities

Major and minor repair centers are strategically located for easy accessibility.  Space available for vehicle maintenance is adequate for present needs.  The total is approximately 208,500 square feet (see Table 18.1 ‘Square Footage of Division of Motor Transport Services Maintenance Facilities, 1994’).

The trend in units to be serviced has been up.  Units shopped in 1998, 1999, and 2000 are 34,726, 35,422, and 45,547 respectively.  These figures show an increase for the past two years.

The overall condition of vehicle maintenance facilities is a continuing concern.  The facilities require continual maintenance and periodic repair and remodeling.

The working conditions in the Off-Road facility, Central Garage facility and some satellites may need major upgrading.  Roof repairs and general wear on facilities are addressed through professional evaluations and consultations.

Future consideration will be given to determine ways to manage increasingly varied types of units being shopped, and to the possible need to upgrade facilities based on volume and turnaround time.

Other issues include expansion and other upgrading, fuel automation, new car-wash capabilities, additional specialized facilities, security, and underground storage tank compliance with the Clean Air Act and EPA).

Surplus Property Yard

The surplus property yard currently stores an average of 350 motorized units.  With a capacity of four hundred units, its level of service is adequate.  The facility includes a total of 25,000 square feet of storage space, which is also adequate space for current needs.  The surplus property yard is that the current site is at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.

Anticipated Future Conditions

Provided that current projects and new projects continue to track the City's needs as planned, future issues, problems, trends and opportunities should be addressed adequately and in a timely manner.  Programs and projects are planned with the goal of addressing issues throughout the planning period and beyond.

City Hall East, located at 675 Ponce de Leon, is expected to satisfy the City's needs for office space into the new millennium.

Other major future issues are expected to include the following:

1. Financing all current, planned, and emergency projects and programs
2. Maintenance, renovation, and automation of general government facilities
3. Providing adequate parking for government operations
4. Compliance with federal mandates
5. Adequate courtrooms and accessories
6. Office space at satellite and remote facilities
7. Security
8. Clean Air Act compliance and environmental concerns

City Hall Complex, City Hall East, Four Neighborhood Facilities, Municipal Court

1. Maintenance and repair programs at the City Court and community facilities throughout the planning period.
2. Renovations at the community facilities, including Dunbar, John Birdine, Georgia Hill and at 818 Pollard Street (formerly 818 Washington Street).
3. A new parking facility for the City Hall complex.
4. Continued compliance of all city government facilities with federal government handicapped access requirements.
5. Additional courtrooms and accessories to handle increased court load.
6. Improvements at City Hall East.

Vehicle Maintenance Facilities

1. Expansion and automation of fuel storage facilities to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.
2. Re-roofing of Claire Drive, and Northside Drive facilities.
3. A new off-road equipment maintenance facility.
4. Remodeling and renovations at various facilities.
5. Security improvements at Claire Drive.

Others

1. A surplus property yard and auction site.
2. A program of roofing inspection, maintenance, and replacement for buildings owned by the City.  Such program should include an annual roofing contract for the maintenance, and replacement of roofs, and a provision for a roofing consultant to augment the present in-house roofing inspection staff.

Current Policies

1. The overall policy regarding City office, neighborhood, and court facilities is to provide adequate and appropriate gathering space conducive to the carrying out of City business and to the promotion of an optimal quality of life for all citizens.
2. The overall policy regarding vehicle maintenance facilities is to provide safe and reliable services for all City-owned vehicles and other motorized equipment. Continuous upgrading of maintenance facilities and construction of new facilities is mandatory to maintaining an efficient and effective work force.
3. The overall policy regarding the City's surplus property yard is to provide a space where surplus motorized equipment can be stored for a specific period of time.  In addition it is where this stored motorized equipment can be auctioned off at the optimum price to offset the cost spent yearly by the city to buy new motorized equipment.

Sustainable Development Design Standards

The City of Atlanta established a new Article I and II, Chapter 75 of the Code of Ordinances entitled Sustainable Development Design Standards through O3-O-0456 in 2003.  The purpose of the City of Atlanta’s policy on sustainable building is to demonstrate the City’s commitment to environmental, economic, and social stewardship, to yield cost savings to the City taxpayers through reduced operating costs, to provide healthy work environments for staff and visitors, and to contribute to the City’s goals of protecting, conserving, and enhancing the region’s environmental resources. Additionally, the City will help to set a community standard of sustainable building.

All City departments and offices and their contractors responsible for financing, planning, designing, developing, constructing and managing City-owned facilities and buildings are affected by the Sustainable Development Design Standards.

The City of Atlanta will incorporate green and/or sustainable building principles and practices into the design, construction, and operations of all City facilities, and City-funded projects to the fullest extent possible. Furthermore, the City will provide leadership and guidance to encourage the application of green building practices in private sector development. This policy is expected to yield long-term cost savings to the City’s taxpayers due to substantial improvements in life-cycle performance and reduced life-cycle costs. 

It is the policy of the City of Atlanta to finance, plan, design, construct, manage, renovate, maintain, and decommission its facilities and buildings to be sustainable. This applies to new construction and renovations in which the total project square footage of 5,000 gross square feet of occupied space.  Renovation as defined by Georgia Code 20-2-260 refers to construction projects which consist of the installation or replacement of major building components such as lighting, heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, roofing, electrical, electronic, or flooring systems; millwork; cabinet work and fixed equipment; energy retrofit packages; or room-size modifications within an existing facility, but excluding routine maintenance and repair items or operations. 

Facilities and buildings over 5,000 gross square feet of occupied space will at a minimum incorporate sustainable design criterion as defined by the policy.  Design and project management teams are required to meet LEED^TM Silver rating level (33-38 points).

The Commissioners of all City Departments whose responsibilities include planning, designing, constructing or renovating City-owned facilities are responsible for submitting a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Department of Procurement specifying the mandatory requirement of complying with the Sustainable Development Design Guidelines. 

What is Sustainable Building?

Sustainability:  Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable Building:  Sustainable building means the integration of building materials and methods that promote environmental quality, economic vitality, and social benefit through the design, construction and operation of the built environment. Sustainable building merges sound, environmentally responsible practices into one discipline that looks at the environmental, economic and social effects of a building or built project as a whole. Sustainable design encompasses the following broad topics: efficient management of energy and water resources, management of material resources and waste, protection of environmental quality, protection of health and indoor environmental quality, reinforcement of natural systems, and integrating the design approach.

The Benefits of Sustainable Building

By implementing the Sustainable Development Design Standards, the City should recognize the followings benefits:  reduced operating costs; energy efficiency; water efficiency; waste reduction; site conservation; improved productivity and human health; and communities benefits.

The LEED System

The City of Atlanta’s Sustainable Development Design Standards is tied to a green building rating system known as LEED^TM , developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).  The USGBC was formed in 1993 to accelerate the adoption of green building practices, technologies, policies, and standards.    The USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system to promote market transformation.  LEED is a self-certifying system designed for rating new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings.  Different levels of green building certification are awarded based on the total credits earned in each of several categories such as site, energy, material resources, indoor environmental quality, and water. 

The Tools

The following resources will be available for the purpose of assisting each Department with the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Design Standards:

• Ordinance O3-O-0456
• City Policy Documents and Georgia Code Standards
• LEED Reference Manual
• Registration Format
• Project Manager Task List
• Draft RFP
• Life Cycle Cost Assessment
• Information on Local Resources

Pilot Projects

The following Departments within the next 12 months shall incorporate the opportunity for the City to begin constructing facilities per the Sustainable Development Design Standards.

• Fire Department
• Department of Watershed Management:  Utoy Creek WRC
• Existing Traffic Court

Policies are implemented based on the City's financial procedures (i.e., budget process, ordinances, needs, etc.)

Challenges

City Hall Complex

The BAC cooling tower was replaced in 2001 and is functioning satisfactory. 

The electric heating system is aging and is not as efficient as new system.  The facility is harder to heat under extreme cold conditions.  The resulting challenges relate to cost effectiveness and performance.

Because of the architectural design, facility maintenance is an ongoing problem.  The large amount of interior marble and brass present a constant need for custodial attention beyond day-to-day cleaning.  As an example, the marble floor types in the Tower and Annex are different; cleaning each requires different applications.  Specialized cleaning/lifting/restoration is expensive but is needed on a quarterly basis to prevent slip and trip hazards.

The exterior panels of the Tower are terra cotta panels and therefore extremely porous.  The size of the panels is small, resulting in a larger area of caulked joints that are vulnerable to weather and age deterioration.  Joint areas and panel porosity create continuing moisture invasion/leak problems.  The exterior of the Annex is a pre-cast and marble panel, limited in size selection, due to weight factors.  Thus a higher volume of marble panels was used.  Also, the Annex was constructed using a high volume of glass panels.  As with the tower, there is a large surface of caulked joints.  The panel structure was built with a shift/movement factor.  Therefore the problem of water invasion at the joints is exacerbated by the caulking, which deteriorates due to constant panel movement.  A waterproofing project is under way from the 15^th floor to the dome with an anticipated completion date of June 2003.

City Hall East

The age of the facility and size present constant problems related to custodial and facility maintenance.  The thirty (30+) year old wooden cooling tower located on top of the powerhouse is severely deteriorated.  The structural steel support is rusting through and it is possible that it could collapse.  This tower provides cooling of the condenser water for the major portion of the building.  It is crucial that this work be done in the cold season.

A-DC Rectifier has replaced the old DC generators and this has rectified many of the electrical problems. 

The exterior façade of the facility continues to experience structural deterioration.  The parapet in one roof section is crumbling and needs to be restored.  Waterproofing is needed over the entire exterior.

Dunbar Neighborhood Facility

The chillers are approximately 20 years old and at the end of their useful life.  We experience major problems with these chillers every summer.  It is very expensive to maintain these units and they are inefficient.

In order to minimize or eliminate these difficulties, the Office of General Services presently participates in a task force, which is examining partnering with private industry for efficient/cost effective energy systems.  The in-house preventive maintenance program for mechanical systems is constantly monitored to ensure effectiveness.  A program of scheduled and continual maintenance for structural upkeep has been developed.  The present cost to implement these strategies, without innovative private sector partnering is projected to be approximately $3,704,421.

Current Programs and Projects

City Hall Complex, City Hall East, Three Neighborhood Facilities, and Municipal Court

1. City Hall Facade/Renovations/Re-roofing
2. City Court Building Renovations
3. Neighborhood Facilities Renovation
4. Citywide Handicap Access
5. Municipal Court Renovations
6. City Hall East Build-out
7. M. L. King, Jr. Neighborhood Center: New Construction
8. City Hall East Cooling Tower
9. Capital Improvements: 818 Pollard Street
10. Construction of a City Court Building

Programs designed to restore, renovate and expand City Hall, City Hall East, neighborhood centers and Municipal Court, will meet only some of the most urgent needs for adequate condition, capacity, and level of service of those affected buildings.  Considerable modifications of some projects and additions of new projects are recommended to more fully meet needs and carry desired service levels through the planning period.  It will be important to adopt a roofing program to address the need for roofing inspection, maintenance, and replacement for all city-owned buildings.

On the other hand, the citywide handicapped access project will not only provide a needed service but will bring the City into compliance with federal guidelines.  One project, M.L.K., Jr. Neighborhood Center, is under construction (see parks projects).

Vehicle Maintenance Facilities

1. Underground Storage Tank Project
2. Re-roof Claire Drive
3. HVAC Replacement at Chester Avenue
4. Partial Re-fencing Claire Drive
5. Replace Liddell Drive Facility
6. Repaving Claire Drive
7. Natural Gas Fueling Stations
8. Re-roof Northside Drive "A" Building

Vehicle maintenance facilities projects are designed to meet federal standards, repair, replace, upgrade, and provide needed new facilities.  If the projects are carried out the condition, capacity and level of service of the vehicle maintenance facilities will be adequate to address most issues, problems, and trends throughout the planning period.

2004 CDP Government Facilities Current Programs and Projects

Project List 18-1: 2004 CDP Government Facilities Current Programs and Projects

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