Yuba Water Agency will soon break ground on its new Power Systems administration building and associated facilities on Marysville Road in Oregon House. Construction is expected to kick off in late May, with completion by spring 2025.
Located at 8897 Marysville Road, the new building will replace Yuba Water’s current Power Systems workplace, which is located in an aging building adjacent to New Colgate Powerhouse at the base of the Yuba River canyon at the end of Lake Francis Road.
“Our current building is the old Colgate Powerhouse built in 1950, which was modified into office space after the New Colgate Powerhouse was completed in 1970,” said Kyle Morgado, an engineer and project manager for Yuba Water. “The old powerhouse was never meant to accommodate a large staff or have the capability to work as a corporation yard.”
The new facility will encompass six acres and include a 14,000-square-foot administration building, warehouse, mechanics shop, covered equipment storage, 80-ft communications tower, 150,000-gallon fire water tank, laydown yard and parking.
In addition to providing modern, accessible office space for staff, the new building will be closer to the communities where many employees live, closer to the agency’s offices in Marysville and New Bullards Bar Dam and Reservoir. The location will also increase safety and security for staff by reducing traffic on the narrow, steep road that leads to New Colgate Powerhouse. As a result, drive time for employees is expected to be reduced by around 20 minutes.
A conference room with capacity for up to 100 people will be available for agency and public use. Additionally, a school bus stop located on Marysville Road adjacent to the property will be significantly improved to ensure families can safely pick up and drop off students.
“We are all very excited to see this project get built and look forward to having a facility that will be a huge improvement in conditions for our staff, but also provide benefits to the rest of the foothills community,” said Phil Cantarinha, Director of Yuba Water’s Power Systems Division.
Yuba Water’s Board of Directors approved the $39.5 million project, awarded to Hilbers Incorporated of Yuba City. The budget includes the Hilbers construction contract and project management and inspection services.
The public is invited to learn more about the project at a community meeting on May 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Alcouffe Center 9185 Marysville Rd, Oregon House, CA 95962. Renderings of the building are also available here. Additional information and project updates will be available at yubawater.org.