U.S. Government Awards Chitina Diversified Services Contract In Tennessee

Historic Chitina  – Photos at Hotel Chitina in 2016 
(Copper River Country Journal archive) 

Project Is For Foundation Work At Knoxville Courthouse 

PRESS RELEASE, 
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (GSA)

Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced it will award a contract to Chitina Diversified Services LLC, a Native Alaskan-owned, small disadvantaged business based in Anchorage, Alaska, for repairs at the Howard H. Baker, Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

This $7.4 million award, which includes $3.3 million in funds from the Inflation Reduction Act [PDF], highlights GSA’s commitment to promoting opportunities for small and socially economically disadvantaged entities through collaboration and robust outreach. In addition to the Inflation Reduction Act funds, this contract also includes approximately $4 million of funds from other sources

The project consists of securely underpinning of the building foundation with low-embodied carbon concrete and steel that will support the foundation and restore it back to its original condition. The project also includes work on the slab that will reduce the risk of future foundation settlement issues. 

Once the foundation is stabilized, the contractor will make repairs to the building’s interior spaces, roof, brick, and storm drainage. GSA anticipates using over 700 cubic meters of concrete masonry units (sometimes called cinder blocks) and two metric tons of cold-formed and galvanized steel. GSA expects that both categories of materials will meet its most-stringent “Top 20%” emissions thresholds, And estimates that selecting these low-carbon materials will avoid over 50 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

“The investment in this courthouse is an example of how we’re making strategic investments in critical facilities across the region,” said Jeff Smith, Regional Commissioner for GSA’s Southeast Sunbelt Region. “The project will make repairs to building infrastructure, while using sustainable building materials and investing in small businesses.”

The funding for the improvements – made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history – will be used for low-embodied carbon (LEC) materials that have fewer greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production.