Clark Construction Group Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art San Francisco Animal Care and Control Facility

SAN FRANCISCO - City leaders including Mayor London Breed, City Administrator Naomi Kelly, Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, and San Francisco Animal Care and Control (SFACC) Executive Director Virginia Donahue, joined Clark Construction Group and over one hundred community organizers, volunteers – and several current and former shelter pets – in breaking ground at the new SFACC facility Wednesday.  The modern, 65,000 square-foot multilevel facility will be housed in the historic 1419 Bryant Street building, constructed in 1893.  The building will retain its original brick façade as it is seismically retrofitted and repurposed as a world-class animal care center featuring an animal hospital with specialty clinical and emergency room space, a medical laboratory, X-ray-, and infirmary isolation functions. The project is designed to achieve LEED® Gold certification and will be completed in winter of 2021.

The previous tenant of the building, SFMTA, was relocated to a new home, the Burke Warehouse.  Clark was responsible for seismically retrofitting and renovating the 100,000 square-foot metal pre-engineered facility in the Bayview as part of the first phase of the project.

Mayor London Breed emphasized that seismic safety was a critical component of building a resilient city.  San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru stated, "Transforming this historic warehouse into a brand-new, fully functional animal shelter showcases the City's innovation and commitment to safeguarding our communities." 

Mike Ricker, Clark Senior Vice President said, "Clark is proud to partner with Public Works on such an important project.  The new facility will support SFACC and its dedicated staff in their vital mission of protecting people and animals in San Francisco."

The project is already creating jobs and benefits for the local economy, employing 149 San Franciscans during its first phase.  City Administrator Naomi Kelly said, "Thank you to Clark Construction for its commitment to local small business enterprises. The first phase of this project has involved 24 San Francisco small businesses representing $12.5 million, or 33% of the total contract value to date." 

Clark voluntarily initiated local small business enterprise set-asides for the project, awarding packages such as earthwork, structural concrete, painting, electrical, HVAC equipment, drywall, metal panels, doors, frames and hardware, drywall, signage, glass and glazing and acoustical ceilings, among others, to San Francisco-based small businesses.  Some of these businesses are led by graduates of Clark's Strategic Partnership Program, an 8-month MBA-style professional development course offered at no cost local small business enterprises.