United States Breaks Ground On New Embassy Compound in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

WASHINGTON, D.C. /eNewsChannels/ — In an important symbol of our enduring friendship with the Dominican Republic, Dominican Republic President, Leonel Fernandez; U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Raul Yzaguirre; and Leo Hession, Managing Director for Operations of the Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), broke ground on the New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Santo Domingo today.

Situated on a 16-acre site, the multi-building complex will include a chancery, compound access controls, a support annex, and Marine security guard quarters. When completed, the new complex will provide approximately 700 embassy employees with a state-of-the-art workspace.

In compliance with OBO sustainability criteria, this building is designed to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver Certification.

The $194 million project was designed by Integrus Architecture of Spokane Washington and will be constructed by Caddell Construction Company of Montgomery, Alabama. The NEC is scheduled to be completed in July 2013.

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 84 new diplomatic facilities and has moved more than 25,000 people into safe, secure, and functional facilities. OBO has an additional 33 projects in design or construction, including the NEC in Santo Domingo.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities for the conduct of U.S. diplomacy and the promotion of U.S. interests worldwide. These facilities represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

About Tabitha Berg

ABOUT THE EDITOR: Tabitha Angel Berg is an aspiring author and musician and joined eNewsChannels in Nov. 2006 as an editor and mistress of the content management system. She likes ferrets better than cats and tea better than coffee, and is still waiting on the perfect ebook reading device.

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