Slated to encompass 69,949 sf and two stories upon completion, the new headquarters will include a 10,000-sf wing that will contain training operations, with the remaining balance of the facility to house administration and public affairs personnel. It marks the second phase of the border patrol project, which stands on a 41-acre parcel located at 221 West Aten in Imperial. Phase I of the development is comprised of a border patrol detention center that was completed around six months ago.

Some of the headquarters facility's design elements, such as a curtain wall and punched window facade, "mimic the architecture of the existing building," according to Don Blair, KMA's project manager. Additional architectural details planned for the second phase include clear-story windows on the second floor of the facility. "The front of the facility faces north, so we are incorporating as much glass as possible on this side to introduce more light into the building," Blair tells GlobeSt.com. In turn, this increased amount of light is expected to reduce energy costs at the completed facility, Blair explains.

The development is a fast-track project, which means KMA is slated to have the design complete by January, Blair says. A design-build contractor is to be selected by March 2004, while construction is scheduled to commence in April 2004.