Ground Broken for $63 Million JPL Building

Usually when Dr. Charles Elachi speaks on the future at JPL everyone’s eyes are cast to the stars, but on Monday all feet were planted on terra firma as a groundbreaking ceremony was held for their first new building on the campus in 25 years.

Before the first shovel of dirt was turned, JPL employees listened to dignitaries, politicians and their boss, Elachi, speak on what the building will mean to the facility.

Richard O’Toole, executive manager, JPL Office of Legislative Affairs, told the audience the six-story, $63 million building will be a space center that offers, among other benefits, four electronic conference rooms on each floor.

“Everybody that is concerned about that corner office, well, all the corner offices in this building are conference rooms,” O’Toole quipped. “There is also a workout room in the basement.”

The new building will provide temporary production offices for specific missions. For example, all those involved in planning a new mission to Mars with be on one floor of the building. At present, those assigned to the same mission are sprinkled throughout the campus, in offices ranging from temporary trailers to laboratories.

The new structure will allow laboratories that are now being used as offices to revert back to labs, O’Toole said.

Elachi looked back at the decades JPL has been a part of space exploration.

“For 50 years we have had a continuous presence on other planets,” he said.

Elachi referred to the age-old question of where JPL actually is located — La Cañada Flintridge or Pasadena — and he diplomatically came up with a solution.

“We are in the center of the universe,” Elachi said.

“Wherever a member of Congress is, [he or she] thinks that is the center of the universe and now I actually am,” said Rep. Adam Schiff, the highest-ranking elected official to attend the ground-breaking ceremony.

Schiff added he has always been impressed with the many accomplishes at JPL but had even more respect for the staff’s ability to work with others.

“I didn’t really appreciate [all that JPL does] until now, with getting the mayor of both La Cañada and Pasadena sitting here,” Schiff said. “JPL is very shrewd.”

Schiff’s focus then turned to the construction of the building and the fact that it will be the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED]-certified building at JPL.

The building will incorporate an environmentally friendly design that will consider water and energy conservation as well give employees opportunities to conserve. Construction will follow the guidelines to the LEED award system at the silver level.

“That includes efficient air conditioning and water conservation as well as bike racks for those who wish to ride their bikes to work,” said Bob Develle, JPL facilities manager.

The building will also include natural lighting in the office. Although it is six stories high, one of the levels is on a slope. The design includes one of the low level roofs to be covered with grass; this helps not only in the greening of the area but also in insulation.

Schiff applauded the “green” effort JPL is using in construction and hopes that their example will be one that other companies follow in future construction. The building is expected to take two years to complete.

The question of the exact address of the building was still debated as the ceremony continued. However La Cañada Mayor Dave Spence said he had found the solution. As he took the podium to speak to the audience, he turned to Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard.

“Bill, I want to welcome you to La Cañada,” Spence said with a broad smile.