Ultimately, NREL's hope is to have a 210,000-sf center that would house its entire 780-person work force. The employees currently work in the Denver Office Park in Lakewood. NREL is the largest tenant at the park, with 207,000 sf in three buildings.

Congress, which must approve any capital expense for NREL, has only approved $10 million for the first phase of the complex. The funding was appropriated by the Energy and Water Development Subcommitte of Congress and is what the RFP is for.

The RFP gives no square footage for the building. However, it calls for two scenarios--one would be a building for 130 to 160 people, and the other is for 250 to 275 people. If all 780 people are housed in 210,000 sf, that equates to about 269 sf per person. If that ration remains constant for the first phase, the building would range in size from about 35,000 sf to about 74,000 sf.

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