The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) received money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to fund the modernization of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Andover Campus, 310 Lowell St. GSA and IRS hosted a groundbreaking on November 19, 2009 to celebrate the project. Speakers included Glenn Rotondo, GSA acting regional administrator; Mark Ernst, IRS deputy commissioner for operations support; and Jonathan Levi, president, Jonathan Levi Architects. The Methuen High School JROTC and Kathy Heward Child Care Center also participated in the event. This project will allow IRS to expand accounts management, compliance services, and criminal investigative functions, as well as support the agency's increased use of automated technology. Green features include the installation of geothermal heating and cooling systems, a new roof with a photovoltaic array, seismic repairs, window replacement, HVAC upgrades, and installation of state-of-the-art electrical equipment and energy efficient fixtures. "Through state-of-the-art upgrades at this Andover Campus, we will save energy and taxpayer money," said Rotondo. "The green technologies employed in these Recovery Act projects will create jobs in both traditional construction sectors and emerging green industries." The project was designed by Jonathan Levi Architects of Boston through a $4.55 million contract with GSA. In addition, a $807,000 ARRA funded supplemental design contract for geothermal heating and cooling was awarded to Levi Architects. Other ARRA funding included a $62.6 million construction and $13.8 million geothermal contract to Columbia Construction of North Reading and a $4.3 million construction management services contract to URS Group of San Antonio. Project completion is slated for 2012. GSA was appropriated $5.5 billion under the Recovery Act to convert federal buildings into high-performance green buildings, and build new energy-efficient federal buildings, courthouses, and land ports of entry. These projects will deliver lasting progress towards modernizing our nation's infrastructure, reducing the Federal government's consumption of energy and water, and increasing our use of clean and renewable sources of energy. The Andover campus was sited as a high priority due to the aging building MEP infrastructure. The roughly 400,000 s/f of existing real estate no longer supports the IRS strategic goals or the changes in the functions at this campus. As a federal tax Submission Processing Center built in 1967, the facility was designed to support operations based on paper processing. Renovations will be completed in two phases, each lasting about 16-18 months. Striving for a LEED Silver rating, the building has been designed to create a sustainable, efficient and livable workplace for IRS employees. Some of the key features of the building and surrounding campus include glass roof panels to provide abundant natural lighting; solar panels; geothermal heating and cooling to replace the existing systems; open and enclosed courtyards; a lunch pavilion; and a fitness center. The program also includes an assembly room; a training complex, conference rooms, and a data center.