San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced a plan to turn the city's Civic Center and surrounding area, located in downtown San Francisco, into an environmental showcase at the Clinton Global Initiative earlier this year. Mayor Newsom is calling the proposed area the Civic Center Sustainability District and hopes the project will bring new life to the Civic Center area and boost local employment. A San Francisco based company, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co., will spearhead the $3.37 million dollar contract to revitalize and renovate the 73 year old building located at 50 United Nations Plaza, which has been vacant since 2007.
The project plan includes a seismic upgrade as well as many modern improvements to enhance the building's energy efficiency. The revamped 350,000 square foot building is planned to meet LEED Gold Certification by the Green Building Council while staying true to the classic structure of the original building which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. San Francisco City officials believe the revitalization combined with the current changes made to the area, including the addition of bicycle lanes and car restrictions of Market Street, will positively impact San Francisco city tourism. The construction is scheduled to commence in 2013 with a Civic Center Sustainability District celebration.
