Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority selected HDR as the lead design firm for the first phase of its new Emergency Security Operations Center (ESOC). Planning and design will be completed early in 2017 with construction scheduled to begin in 2018.

At an estimated cost of $112.7 million, the new ESOC facility will be four stories tall and about 100,000 square feet in size with one level of at-grade parking. It is anticipated to meet the requirements of a Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED)-Gold building. The ESOC will be a secured facility for authorized personnel only and not open to the general public.

As the lead designer, HDR will oversee all aspects of building design, working closely with staff at LA Metro to create plans for the architecture, structures and communication systems. HDR’s decision economics practice is helping LA Metro obtain the best value and most efficient infrastructure solution. The firm’s continuous, comparative, benefit-cost analyses will inform long-term decisions as the project moves forward. HDR’s public outreach program will engage with the community to keep the public informed of the project’s progress.

The ESOC will serve as the primary location to support day-to-day emergency, security and law-enforcement operations for LA Metro. Housed inside will be a combined emergency and security staff who will be better equipped when security concerns or emergencies arise anywhere in LA Metro’s sprawling bus- and rail-transit network. Proposed in phases, the ESOC’s second phase will provide an opportunity to co-locate LA Metro’s bus and rail operation centers, achieving reliable redundancy in the event of a catastrophic event.

“Facilities such as this one are critical for effective emergency prevention and responsiveness to protect civic welfare, and ultimately the continuous operation of the infrastructure,” said HDR Design Principal Moshik Mah.