Davis Constructors & Engineers Inc., broke ground last September on the latest addition to the downtown area. The office building, owned by JL Properties Inc., will be leased by the General Services Administration, which handles acquisition services for the federal government.

The 81,147-square-foot structure will house the Anchorage offices of the National Park Service plus other agencies as space permits. The park service will occupy approximately 60,000 square feet of the space, according to John Quinley, spokesman for the department.

Estimated construction cost for the new building is $11.5 million. About 65 people are currently employed on the project, said Blake Manwaring, project engineer for Davis Constructors.

The building, designed by Rim Architects, will be five stories tall, plus a penthouse.

The north and south facades, which will face Fifth and Sixth avenues, feature a protruding sea green storefront glazing surrounded by porcelain tile panels, according to the company.

The landscaping has not yet been contracted out, according to Manwaring, but plans include colored sidewalks lined with trees and flowerbeds.

Davis expects to complete the project in July 2003.

The park service currently has two office locations in Anchorage, one on Gambell Street and one on C Street, Quinley said. The new building will consolidate employees into one locale. The park service has between 200-250 Anchorage-area employees, including some seasonal workers.

The park service has a 20-year lease on the building, Quinley said.