Gulf Building LLC, based in Fort Lauderdale, says it is will build the New Joe Pinder Administration Building in Key West for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA). The project’s overall estimated construction and engineering cost is about $22.4 million, according to FKAA’s 2020-2024 Capital Improvement Program.

The contractor will work on the design/build project with local joint venture partner, Keystar Construction.

Designed by Pope + Scarbrough Architects, this new building will be a three story, 38,000 sq. ft. hurricane hardened structure over ground level parking with Class A office space, public lobby with support services, board room, and ancillary spaces.

The new administration building is being designed to implement Florida Green Building Coalition standards along with the needed programming to modernize their services, the contractor said in a statement. The project is expected to break ground in October.

“We are excited to have been selected and look forward to delivering this important project for FKAA,” Gulf Building president and CEO John Scherer said in a statement.

The FKAA’s administration building was damaged by Hurricane Irma, to the extent that it could not be repaired economically and so the authority decided to demolish it and build a new structure. The project’s overall estimated engineering and construction costs were estimated at $9 million each this year and in 2021, and $4.364 million in 2022, the FKAA document reported.