MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2016
Bigger and better
Austin Utilities adapting to life at new, central facility By Jason Schoonover
jason.schoonover@austindailyherald.com
A
Public tours
2-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Tours of 10-15 will be led through the facility.
From a gas and water standpoint, Jorgenson said the new facility offer more efficient and smoother operations for accessing
materials, as they’re now at one site versus the three locations from before. Along with a new site for welding operations, the
Todd Park 14th Street Northeast
ustin Utilities is primed and ready for a bright, efficient future at its new home. The public utility has been in the new Austin Utilities Service and Operations Center, 1908 14th St. NE, since this summer, and it’s proving to be a plus for its employees thus far. Not only does the site bring all its employees to one site, but it also adds a good deal of efficiencies for employees. “A lot of good things went into the design of the building,” said Todd Jorgenson, the gas and water operations director who served as project manager for construction. The public will have a chance to check out the 105,000-square-foot building at the 23-acre Energy Park site near Todd Park from 2 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, when Austin Utilities employees will lead groups of 10 to 15 on tours of the building. The need for a new facility was a great one, according General Manager Mark Nibaur, as utilities studied the cost-effectiveness of building a new facility versus remodeling and upgrading its old facilities. Their decision was to build a new$17 to $18 million facility. The building brings a number of ways to consolidate office operations,
including customer service, staff operations and administrative duties, from the seven buildings utilities workers use. “Just being close proximity with other departments saves a lot of time, a lot of phone calls when we can just meet face to face,” Jorgenson said.
Interstate 90
utilities mechanic also has a much more room and more user-friendly equipment with a small lift for some trucks and a larger lift for utilities’ biggest trucks/ “He’s got a well designed and efficient space for his use,” Jorgenson said. There’s also more room for trucks and equipment.
Now, the utilities dispatch center has a convenient space with gas on one side and electric on the other, which helps them coordinate projects and respond to emergencies in a coordinated manner. The warehouse and garage also feature in-floor heat generated by a geothermal field. And Austin Utilities didn’t have enough space to store essential supplies like water and gas pipes indoors, according to Nibaur. The new building solves several safety and regulation issues for the utilities company, and it is more energy efficient than the old site. Utilities officials estimate the company could save $2.5 million over the next 10 years with a new facility. The building also offers a disaster-proof utilities operations, which Nibaur said was an important improvement. Doors and windows near the administration section have coiling metal shutters that can be rolled down in the event of a severe storm or tornado. The shutters are supposed to withstand an F-2 tornado. It will also protect the generator, in which case after a storm, the power can still be accessed and turned on. In addition, there are conference rooms for meetings and trainings, locker rooms for men and women, a water testing lab, records room and welding shop.