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PIKES!PEAK!SUMMIT!COMPLEX!–!FACT!SHEET!
GE!Johnson:!Through'a'competitive'process,'GE'Johnson'was'selected'by'the'City'of'Colorado'Springs'in'December'2015'to'provide'
construction'services'as'the'project'Construction'Manager/General'Contractor.'Founded'in'1967,'GE'Johnson'Construction'
Company'is'headquartered'in'Colorado'Springs'and'has'completed'more'than'$7'billion'in'construction'projects'in'14'states.!
Building!Facts:!The'new'Pikes'Peak'Summit'Complex'will'consist'of'two'separate'buildings:'!
• One'building'will'house:'The'Summit'House'visitor'center'and'Plant'Building,'operated'as'a'City'Enterprise'by'Pikes'PeakU
America's'Mountain'(PPAM).'Connected'to'the'visitor'center'will'be'the'Pikes'Peak'MultiUUser'Communication'Facility,'
operated'by'Colorado'Springs'Utilities'(CSU).'
• The'second'building'will'house'the'Maher'Memorial'HighUAltitude'Research'Laboratory'(HARL),'operated'by'the'U.S.'Army'
Research'of'Environmental'Medicine'(USARIEM).'
• In'addition,'the'Broadmoor'Pikes'Peak'Cog'Railway'is'also'a'special'use'permit'holder'
• There'are'no'plumbed'water'or'sewer'facilities'on'the'Summit'so'all'water'must'be'trucked'up'and'wastewater'trucked'down'
daily.'
• The'new'Summit'visitor'center'will'include'photovoltaic'solar'energy'panels,'outdoor'dining,'observation'decks,'interactive'
touch'walls'to'enable'600,000+'visitors'per'year'to'register'their'visit'to'the'Summit,'permanent'interpretive'exhibits'of'
“Place”/climate'and'conditions,'“People”/Native'American'and'Spaniard'history,'and'“Peak'Today”/conservation'efforts,'Barr'
Trail'and'Marathon,'Pikes'Peak'Hill'Climb,'tourism,'etc.'
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Project!Cost!Estimate/Fundraising:''Construction'of'an'iconic'visitor'center'atop'14,115’'America’s'Mountain'brings'considerable'
construction'challenges.'The'project'team'is'committed'to'assuring'the'new'structure'not'only'maximizes'the'visitor'experience,'
but'also'does'so'in'the'most'environmentally'sustainable'way'possible.'To'achieve'these'goals,'the'cost'projection'to'build'the'new'
Summit'visitor'center'is'estimated'between'$30'and'$50'million,'some'of'which'has'already'been'secured.'Pikes'Peak'–America’s'
Mountain'has'contracted'with'the'Benefactor'Group'to'provide'fundraising'strategy,'starting'with'a'Feasibility'Study'anticipated'to'
be'completed'by'March'2017.'
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Location!of!the!new!visitor!center!on!the!Summit!site:!The'new'visitor'center'will'be'constructed'at'the'southeast'corner'of'the'
Summit'site,'which'is'a'new'location'from'the'existing'facility.'Views'from'the'new'visitor'center'will'include'Florissant,'Cripple'
Creek,'Victor,'Denver,'Mt.'Evans,'Mt.'Rosa,'Woodland'Park,'Colorado'Springs'and'the'Arkansas'watershed.'This'new'site:!
• Is'oriented'to'maximize'solar'energy'
• Works'well'for'service'access'
• Is'sheltered'from'prevailing'winds'and'storms'
• Provided'the'ability'to'nestle'the'facility'into'the'mountain'for'a'more'minimalistic'impact'and'approach'
Schedule:!Construction'of'the'new'Pikes'Peak'Summit'Complex'will'take'place'over'three'building'seasons'(summers'of'2017,'2018'
and'2019'from'approximately'June'1'through'October'30'each'year).''Final'touchUup'work'will'continue'into'2020.''Detailed'
anticipated'schedule:!
Summer'2017:''Foundations'will'be'dug'and'poured'
Late'2017/Early'2018:'building'fabrication'
Summer'2018:'Construct'the'new'structure,'fully'driedUin'with'heating'systems'
Late'2018/Early'2019:'Interior'work'as'weather'allows'for'access'
Summer'2019:'Anticipate'a'June'turnover'of'the'new'Summit'Complex.'Work'will'continue'on'exterior'pathways'and'overflow'
parking'lot.''Transition'into'the'new'Summit'House'visitor'center.'
• Summer2020:'Removal'of'the'old'Summit'House'structure'
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Construction:'The'existing'Summit'House'visitor'center'will'continue'to'operate'throughout'construction'of'the'new'facility.'Safety'
fencing'will'be'constructed'around'the'construction'site.'
• A'small'crushing'plant'will'be'constructed'at'the'Summit'to'costUeffectively'process'large'rock'for'reuse'as'backfill.'''
• GE'Johnson,'contractor'of'the'project,'will'provide'administrative,'safety'instruction'and'altitude'acclamation'from'its'
construction'trailers'at'the'site'of'the'old'ski'area'at'10,600Ufoot'elevation.''Its'workers'will'be'shuttled'to'and'from'the'
Summit'from'this'location.''Due'to'the'effects'of'working'at'the'14,115’'altitude,'workers'will'remain'at'the'Summit'for'a'
maximum'of'six'hours'per'day.'
• Employees'and'high'altitude.''GE'Johnson'has'done'research.''There'will'be'specific'protocols'!
Summit!Access!During!Construction:!For'safety'reasons,'limited'passenger'vehicles'will'be'allowed'access'to'the'Summit'during'
construction'of'the'new'facilities'(from'2017'to'2019).''During'this'time,'a'free'Summit'Shuttle'will'transport'visitors'to'and'from'a'
designated'parking'location'at'Devil’s'Playground.''Planned'Pikes'Peak'events'will'continue'to'take'place'but'participants'will'also'
be'required'to'limit'traffic'to'the'Summit'and'use'the'shuttle'service'to'access'the'Summit.!
LEED!Certification!and!Living!Building!Challenge™"Application:!The'new'summit'facilities'are'required'by'the'U.S.'Forest'Service'to'
at'least'meet'requirements'for'Silver'level'certification'through'the'U.S.'US'Green'Building'Council'Leadership'in'Energy'and'
Environmental'Design'(LEED)'program.'In'addition,'the'project'team'is'exploring'pursuing'a'Living&Building&Challenge™'certification'
through'the'International'Living'Building'Institute.'Comprised'of'seven'performance'categories:'Place,'Water,'Energy,'Health'&'
Happiness,'Materials,'Equity'and'Beauty,'the'certification'is'based'on'actual,'rather'than'modeled'or'anticipated,'
performance.''Projects'must'be'operational'for'at'least'12'consecutive'months'for'the'majority'of'the'verifications.''!
Interpretive!/!Historic!Exhibits:!The'Summit'of'Pikes'Peak'is'designated'as'a'Historic'Landmark.'In'addition'to'the'many'educational'
interpretive'exhibits'and'displays'inside'the'new'visitor'center,'the'exterior'will'feature'historic'markers,'including:'!
• Katharine'Lee'Bates'plaques'memorializing'the'words'she'wrote'after'visiting'the'summit'of'Pikes'Peak'that'became'the'song,'
“America'the'Beautiful.”'
• A'14,115’'summit'marker'will'recognize'the'various'names'given'to'the'peak'by'the'Spaniards'and'Native'Americans.''The'
project'team'will'work'with'the'US'Geological'Survey'Administration'to'determine'and'establish'the'true'summit'elevation'
and'to'obtain'a'new'official'summit'marker.'
• A'portion'of'the'original'1800’s'era'Summit'House'will'remain'as'a'historical'marker'
• Defined'elevated'walkways'will'help'keep'the'600,000+'per'year'visitors'to'the'Summit'from'wandering'onto'the'fragile'
tundra,'minimizing'impact.'Interpretive'elements'will'be'positioned'along'the'“Ring'the'Peak”'walkway.'
MultiNmodal!Accommodations!/!American’s!with!Disabilities!facilities:!The'new'visitor'center'will'include'several'ways'to'access'
the'summit:'!
• Cog'Railway:''8'trips'per'day;'duration'before'the'return'trip'will'remain'at'45'minutes'
• Automobile:''162'parking'spaces,'plus'10'motorcycle'parking'spaces'will'be'constructed'(69'overflow'and'93'main'lot)'
• Passenger'Bus:''drop'off'and'loading'facilities'for'bus'passengers''
• Bicycle:''twelve'bicycle'lockers'will'be'installed'for'day'use'
• Foot:''existing'trails'will'continue'to'provide'accessing'to'the'Summit'
• ADA:'elevators,'ramps'and'other'American’s'with'Disabilities'facilities'are'incorporated'into'the'design'
(October'2016)'