Swinerton Builders has been busy in San Diego County recently. In the past month, the San Francisco-based contractor completed the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Gaslamp/Convention Center, along with a luxury hotel at Viejas Casino & Resort.
Located off Interstate 8 in Alpine, CA, the new $50 million hotel tower at Viejas Casino & Resort opened October 30 with the spectacle of a tightrope walk by Tino Wallenda of the world-renowned Flying Wallendas, who crossed the 250-ft distance between the new hotel tower and the existing one.
Swinerton Builders served as the general contractor on the design-build project. They partnered with the San Diego office of JCJ Architecture, Escondido, CA-based Masson & Associates, and Seattle, WA-based DCI Engineers to deliver the five-story, 141,400-sq-ft tower on schedule.
The new hotel features 104 deluxe rooms and five luxury suites; 1,000 ground floor slot machines; a fitness and business center; large bar and lounge; outside patio terrace; basement kitchen; and nine high-end meeting spaces including the showcase 1,200-seat Oak Ballroom. Two sides of the hotel are connected to the existing casino, with access provided via an underground tunnel. A pool and concert space is positioned between the two hotel towers.
In 2013 and 2014, respectively, Swinerton performed design-build services on the original Viejas hotel tower and parking structure.
San Diego-based Xpera CM was retained by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians to manage the design and construction of the four-star resort project. Xpera CM says it provided full-service project management services for the Viejas project, working with Swinerton and suppliers to deliver the tower 30 days early and under budget. Construction on the hotel tower began in June 2014 and involved the demolition of an existing administration building and reconfiguration of the site to blend with the existing facility
About 30 miles west of the Viejas hotel, Swinerton wrapped up construction on the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Gaslamp/Convention Center on October 22. Located in Downtown San Diego’s eclectic Gaslamp Quarter, the 14-story, 90-room hotel contains all the luxuries of a Courtyard by Marriott—with a European boutique feel.
The hotel’s crowning jewel is its rooftop lounge, The Nolen, which offers sweeping views of the city skyline, San Diego Bay, Coronado Island, and the Pacific Ocean. The 2,500-sq-ft upscale hangout has its own dedicated entrance and elevator that heads straight to the 14th floor. Other hotel amenities include a lobby restaurant and bar, a convenience store, a fitness center, and a business center.
Swinerton officials said in a recent press release that the restricted infill urban project site required the close collaboration of the team to maintain all the familiar elements of a Courtyard by Marriott. In addition, due to very tight site constraints and a limited laydown area, Swinerton coordinated closely with the City of San Diego and neighboring businesses to minimize impacts.
The project broke ground in April 2014 and Swinerton provided design, construction, budget, scheduling, and constructability services. They also took over the design of the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural concrete scopes of work, teaming closely with owners J Street Hospitality and San Diego-based Awbrey Cook Rogers McGill Architects.