Foothill Gold Line Authority Dedicates Operations Campus
The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) on May 23 held a community open house and dedication for the state-of-the-art Foothill Gold Line Operations Campus. The’s event was attended by elected officials at all levels of government, transportation officials and hundreds of community stakeholders. The dedication of the 24-acre, $265 million light rail maintenance and operations facility marks a crucial milestone in the completion of the 11.5-mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa, which is on schedule for completion in late-September.
“The completion of Foothill Gold Line Operations Campus months ahead of schedule and on budget is a testament to the ingenuity, hard work and focus of the entire team,” said Foothill Gold Line Board Chairman Doug Tessitor. “Today, we celebrate an important milestone on the project that will allow trains to start being commissioned to the facility in advance of us completing the six station light rail extension three short months from now.”
The Construction Authority celebrated this milestone with a dedication ceremony held in and around the campus’ 132,000-square-foot Main Shop Building, which was designed and built to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Standard, one of the highest levels of sustainable achievement available. The facility is projected to use 35 percent less water and 32.5 percent less electricity than a typical building of its kind.
The facility will service up to 84 light rail vehicles from the county’s growing light rail fleet and 200 operations and maintenance staff over several shifts a day. In a symbolic gesture of celebrating completion of and accepting responsibility for the Foothill Gold Line Operations Campus, Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington accepted a gold keyfrom Construction Authority CEO Habib F. Balian.
“The partnership between the Construction Authority and Metro over the last few years has been incredible,” added Tessitor. “We build the facility for Metro, and we wanted this to be a model for future facilities in their system. I believe we have achieved that goal with the artistic look, integration of sustainability, and the overall functionality of the site.”
U.S. Representatives Grace Napolitano and Norma Torres joined California Senate Minority Leader Robert Huff, San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus Chair Senator Dr. Ed Hernandez, California Assembly Majority Floor Leader Chris R. Holden, and California Assembly Member Ed Chau at the ceremony, which included a unique opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facility before it becomes operational. Also attending the celebration were Los Angeles County Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Hilda Solis. Both Supervisors represent regions that will benefit from the light rail service.
The $265-million Gold Line Operations Campus is an integral part of the six-station, 11.5-mile Foothill Gold Line light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa currently nearing completion.
