Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin cut the ribbon Monday and officially reopened the newly renovated and state-of-the-art Waterbury State Office Complex that was heavily damaged in 2011 when the Winooski River overflowed its banks during Tropical Storm Irene. The new, $130 million complex was built to weather a 500-year storm. The first state employees will begin moving into the Office Complex next week. In total, about 900 state employees will move into the new workspace by the spring of 2016. Attendees at the ceremony included representatives of US Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, Mark Landry of FEMA, Vermont legislators, and Waterbury Select Board Chair Chris Nordle.
Photos courtesy PC Construction. Flood photos courtesy State of Vermont.
The renovation and construction phase of the project began in August of 2013 and included a 86,000-square-foot office building, a 20,000-square-foot central plant and maintenance facility, new site infrastructure, as well as the historic renovations of the original 13 core buildings comprising 115,000-square-feet. The construction of the Complex has employed almost 1,500 workers and is on track tocome in on time and on budget.
South Burlington-based PC Construction served as the general contractor for the state's largest-ever construction project.
“This is a symbol of Vermont’s incredible perseverance and our promise to rebuild our state stronger and better than Irene found it,” Shumlin said. “So many dedicated and hardworking individuals made this day possible, and I want to extend my sincere gratitude to each one of them. To complete a project of this size and scope on time and on budget is a great achievement. To be the Governor to welcome back to Waterbury our hardworking state employees is truly an honor.”
In a joint comment, Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Representative Peter Welch said:“This complex project took vision from local leaders, Vermonters pulling together, and tight and effective work by the congressional delegation to achieve needed changes and in securing appropriations. It also took lots of creative thinking and close collaboration among town, state and federal governments to get where we are today. Residents of Waterbury and all Vermonters should be proud of what we have achieved by working together. There is more to do, but if we continue to work together we will always be stronger than before.”
The new State Office Complex will house 830 employees of Vermont’s Agency of Human Services, which will allow for the consolidation of most central functions of the Agency, increase efficiency of operations, and reduce lease costs for taxpayers. The Complex will also house an additional 200 state employees.
Shortly after the water receded, then Administration Secretary Jeb Spaulding reaches up about eight feet to show how high the water reached.
The new modern work environment will create a setting with access to natural light and vibrant view corridors for all staff. The new structures are designed to meet LEED Gold standards, and the project will result in a 25 percent reduction in energy consumption across the campus. Given its location on the banks of the Winooski River and the damage wrought by Irene, reducing flood risk is a primary emphasis of the project. Nineteen flood-prone buildings have been removed, new and renovated facilities have been elevated, and all occupied areas of new and renovated construction are now above the 500-year-flood level.
The project was funded with a combination of State of Vermont funds, insurance proceeds, and FEMA funds. The total cost of this phase of the project is $130 million, and it is funded with a combination of State of Vermont funds, insurance proceeds, and FEMA funds. About $17 million come from insurance proceeds, $31 million from FEMA, and $82 million from the State of Vermont.
Route 100 is to the right; Winooski River to the left.