Port of Seattle/Swedish/MulvannyG2

Following a scathing audit that accused the Port of Seattle of $90 million in cost overruns, the Port has developed an audit plan.

Port Develops Audit Plan for New Contracts

Seattle - The Port of Seattle has released a detailed Audit Response Action Plan in response to the 51 recommendations contained in the recent performance audit report. The third party audit, found $90 million in cost overruns on recent projects, and prompted a legal investigation into its contracting practices.

“The Port commission has taken several steps recently in response to the audit, including strengthening our oversight, delaying projects until contract reforms are in place, and establishing an independent fraud investigation,” said Commission President John Creighton.

The action plan provides specific information, including:

• The auditor’s report recommendations;
• Changes the Port plans to implement;
• Immediate and long-term action steps;
• Status of and estimated date of completion for each item;
• Staff member or department accountable for its completion.

The plan will be updated regularly to show progress as it is made in each area.

Senior Living Project Now Open for Residents

Vancouver - Walsh Construction Co. recently completed The Quarry Senior Living, a senior housing project in Vancouver, WA, for owner East County Holdings, LLC. Particularly unique about The Quarry is that it will offer the full spectrum of senior care all in one building. The $40.8 million project is a 250,000 sq ft, four-story, 183-unit independent living, assisted living, and memory care facility. Housing is offered in a mix of loft, one and two bedroom apartments.

The Quarry offers a full range of lifestyle choices, from deluxe rental apartment homes for the active, independent senior, to those needing assistance with daily activities and those in need of memory care. An in-house restaurant, bank, beauty/barber salon and business center mean that residents can perform their most common errands without ever leaving. It is located on eight acres and is part of the Columbia Tech Center a 300-acre retail and business development.

Notable design features created by Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects include porte-cocheres of heavy-frame timber, a sunroom on the roof, a wireless nurse call monitoring system throughout, and rooms and dining areas specifically created for clientele with Parkinson’s Disease.

Walsh crews were responsible for the installation of many high-end finishes, including a grand lodge-like stone fireplace with hand-forged wall sconces in the great room off the lobby, as well as an eight-foot wall fountain. An 80-seat theatre incorporates the latest technology with vintage movie posters.

Careful coordination of multiple subcontractors working in the space at the same time was critical to completing this project.

Swedish Hospital Buys Land for Expansion

Issaquah - Swedish recently completed an option agreement with Port Blakely Communities to purchase 17.88 acres in the Issaquah Highlands development in east King County, near Seattle. Swedish plans to build a 175-bed hospital and health complex on the property, located just off Interstate 90 (I-90) at Highlands Drive N.E. and “D” Drive in Issaquah. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The new hospital will serve as an eastside hub as it expands along the I-90 corridor. Swedish plans to start construction in 2010 and open the first phase of the facility with a minimum of 80 beds in 2012, growing to 175 beds by 2019.

Swedish selected Mahlum Architects to complete the first phase of programming and master-site planning for the hospital and health complex campus.

Mulvanny G2 Wins EPA Award for Waste Reduction

Bellevue - MulvannyG2 Architecture was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for designing an innovative waste reduction program which reduces its environmental footprint and conserves resources. The firm’s corporate office in Bellevue was awarded Partner of the Year through EPA’s WasteWise program, a voluntary program focused on conserving natural resources through solid waste reduction.

EPA representatives thanked members of MulvannyG2’s Green Team. “EPA is pleased to honor MulvannyG2 Architecture for its ongoing commitment to waste reduction and recycling,” said Lisa McArthur, Manager of the Resource Management and State Programs Unit of the Office of Air, Waste and Toxics, U.S. EPA, Region 10. “MulvannyG2 has demonstrated its dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship, and should be considered a model for other businesses in the region.”

MulvannyG2 was also recognized during a luncheon awards ceremony at the 2007 WasteWise & National Partnership for Environmental Priorities Conference: Building Community and Business Partnerships in Washington, DC, in November. Awards were presented to 48 organizations who achieved noteworthy results in waste reduction.

The company’s Green Team spearheads educational activities, promotes involvement in the EPA’s WasteWise program, works closely with its building property management, and janitorial staff to ensure tangible results. MulvannyG2 recycled over 22 tons of paper, plastics, metals, and other commodities last year. They also prevented over 10 tons of plastics, paper, and food waste from entering the landfill. According to EPA calculations, this amount results in greenhouse gas emission reductions equivalent to removing 31 passenger cars from the road for one year or about 4,200 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.