The U.S. General Service Administration says it plans to make $30 million to $50 million worth of improvements at the Thomas S. Foley Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse at the southeast corner of Riverside Avenue and Monroe Street downtown.

The project will include upgrading or replacing electrical and lighting systems, as well as the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems throughout the nine-story, 300,000-square-foot structure, says Ross Buffington, the public affairs manager at GSA's Auburn, Wash., office.

The agency will select a design-build contractor to manage the project in March, Buffington says.

The design and construction is expected to take 36 months to complete, GSA says.

GSA is an agency of the U.S. government that manages and supports certain functions of federal agencies, including real estate.

The intent of the project is to renovate and modernize the building to make it an economically and operationally efficient high-performance "green" building, Buffington says.

The GSA has requested proposals from a short list of design-build teams with a goal of applying environmentally friendly standards in the project and achieving Leadership in Environmental Energy & Design (LEED) gold certification for the building, he says. LEED gold is the second highest certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit national organization of design leaders that touts conservation of resources, environmental awareness, and sustainable design.

The project will be funded through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the GSA's request for qualifications says, adding, "There is reasonable certainty funds will be available."

GSA declines to disclose the design-build firms on the project's short list, Buffington says.

The agency says it chose the design-build process to encourage builders and designers to collaborate on the project to improve efficiency in the process by reducing project costs and duration.

The scope of the extensive project will require a team with expertise in architecture, engineering, and interior design, GSA says.

This project should include re-use of materials where practical, introduction of modern building concepts, and use of innovative technologies to meet high-performance green building standards, the agency says.

The project also will include an expansion and relocation of the U.S. Marshals Service to the second floor of the building from the eighth floor, he says.

Hill International Inc., a Marlton, N.J.-based construction management company with an office in Spokane, has been awarded a $2 million contract to represent the GSA throughout the construction process.

Hill declined to comment on the project, referring inquiries to the GSA. Buffington says Hill has identified the scope of work that needs to be done on the project and will act as construction manager to ensure that the design-build team lives up to the construction contract.

The federal courthouse was constructed in 1966, and later named in honor of Spokane native and U.S. Rep. Thomas Foley, the former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In addition to the U.S. District Court, the U.S. attorney's office, and related services, other U.S. agencies and services with offices housed in the building include the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Food and Drug Administration.