Pinellas County, Fla., Complex Cited for Safety Excellence
The $72-million Pinellas County Public Safety Facilities and Centralized Communications Center project called for the complete demolition of existing buildings on a 40-acre campus and replacement with new, storm-hardened facilities such as a sheriff’s administrative building, emergency operations and dispatch centers, a 1,248-space parking garage and an energy plant to supply emergency power and cooling. A groundwater-sourced geothermal HVAC system provides long-term reliability and savings in energy costs.
Given the multifaceted scope of the construction activity that would occur for the duration of the project, extensive preplanning proved critical for the Lend Lease-led team. The project team worked with other stakeholders to develop a comprehensive logistics plan that addressed traffic flow, effective communication with the owner and end-users, electronic identification and continuously staffed guard gates.