Selected Experience: IRS Detroit Computing Center

Internal Revenue Service Detroit Computing Center-Detroit, Michigan

Type: Multi-Story Office Building and Data Center
Client: U.S. General Services Administration (sub-client: Internal Revenue Service)
Size: 900,000 Gross Square Feet
Year: 1994

Walsh, Higgins & Company was selected from a field of 17 teams to design and build a new highly technical $175 million office/computer center for the Internal Revenue Service in Detroit, Michigan. The project includes a ten story 850-car parking garage, a 10 story office/computer data center, a training center and a 4 story energy center. The featured design element of the project is a handsome 10-story clock tower which conceals the garage stair tower.

Role: As Vice President of Acquisitions for the company, Roth was responsible for procuring the assignment and best responding to the challenging criteria put forth by the governmental entities soliciting the bids.

In responding the full range of pre-development services were required including architect and contractor selection, design management, financing as well as leading a team of consultants and specialized subconsultants to accomplish the primary project objectives; deliver the highest quality technical product for the General Services Administration at the lowest cost.

Walsh, Higgins as owner and lessor to the government was responsible for securing the lowest cost financing possible to deliver the space as affordable as possible to the government. The company structured a very successful bond financing to cover the entire $150 million in costs. Dealing with a myriad of governmental regulations which affected the transaction and the very specific regulations of the client, the Company was able to complete a very complicated asset backed revenue bond financing – one of the only real estate backed revenue bond financings that had been brought to the credit markets in the prior five to ten years. Roth also orchestrated an aggressive small and small disadvantaged business participation plan and incorporated aggressive goals for on-site workers. The project was hailed in Detroit as the most inclusive and most comprehensive outreach programs the city had seen.