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.
The building will also use the latest in energy efficient and sustainable features. "We're currently finishing up a 71,000-sf Science and Technology Facility, and we're applying for a gold LEED rating," a spokeswoman for NREL tells GlobeSt.com. "So that is our model."
Greg Stevinson, developer of Denver West, notes that NREL has been a tenant in the office park since 1978. At that time, Colorado competed against other states to land NREL, which is the leading government agency in coming up with cutting-edge, alternative energy sources. He tells GlobeSt.com that he would have no problem backfilling the space if and when NREL should vacate it.
Indeed, he applauds those efforts. He tells GlobeSt.com that he and his late father, Chuck Stevinson, in the past have testified before Congress, recommending it fund a permanent home for NREL. "The country really needs an agency that focuses on energy conservation and alternative energy sources, and NREL and the area increasingly can be a leader in this," Stevinson tells GlobeSt.com. "The problem is that they have to get Congressional approval, and with budget deficits, Congress has been more likely to cut funding for NREL, than approve it. I think it will be 10 years, and probably a lot longer, before they get the funding for a permanent home."
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