DGS Celebrates the Grand Opening of the May Lee State Office Complex
Located in the Sacramento River District, the 1.25 million gross square foot building leads in sustainability features and is named after former DGS employee May Lee, the longest-serving state employee in California state history, who passed away last year.
The California Department of General Services (DGS) hosted the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the May Lee State Office Complex in the River District of Sacramento, Calif. Speakers at the event included Amy Tong, Secretary of Government Operations Agency; Ana M. Lasso, Director of Department of General Services; Brad Jeanneret with Hensel Phelps; and Ted Hyman, with ZGF Architects.
At approximately 1.25 million gross square feet, this massive design was completed under budget! The project had a construction contract of $940 million, with total project costs of $1.03 billion. DGS reduced the overall project costs by $27 million prior to the bond sale and received a Certificate of Occupancy two weeks early, which saved the state over $20 million in bond interest!
The 17.3-acre site is part of the DGS Ten-Year Sequencing Plan to renovate and/or replace state office buildings in the Sacramento area and is comprised of four office towers and amenities.
The building leads the way in sustainability as one of the largest zero-net carbon facilities and the most extensive all-electric kitchen in the country. The building has on-site and structured above-grade parking that hosts 90 EV charging stations with the capacity for more. Additionally, through sustainable practices, the project was designed to reduce 5 million gallons of water annually (equivalent to nine Olympic-sized swimming pools).
DGS’ Real Estate Service Division managed the project under its Project Management and Development Branch. The design-build included teams from Hensel Phelps, ZGF Architects, Dreyfuss + Blackford, and ARUP and CO Architects.
The facility is named in honor of former DGS employee May Lee, the longest-serving California state employee who had 79 years of service. May passed away in 2023 at 102, just shy of what would have been her 103rd birthday on June 23, 2023. She started with the Department of Finance in accounting in 1943 and switched over to DGS when it was created in 1963. She retired from DGS in the 1980s but returned as a retired annuitant until 2022. She is remembered for her institutional knowledge and everlasting smile and laughter.