Phase 1 of OUC’s St. Cloud Operations and Maintenance Center is nearing completion, with OUC employees expected to move in this spring. The center is located on 24 acres, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 192 and Hickory Tree Road in St. Cloud. This multi-phase project is part of OUC’s efforts to ensure it can meet increasing customer demand and provide reliable service as the city undergoes rapid growth. OUC has been the city’s electricity provider since 1997 and has an agreement to continue in that role through 2042.
The first phase includes a 55,000-square-foot warehouse, 22,000-square foot fleet maintenance facility and fuel island. This new campus will include a facilities workshop, fleet parts store, indoor/outdoor break areas, mothers’ rooms and locker rooms. The site will also include an outdoor walking path and electric vehicle (EV) charging.
All buildings on campus will use 50% less energy and 42% less water than conventional facilities of similar size and use. They are able to achieve reduced energy loads through sustainable design elements, including consideration of building orientation, window placement, daylight harvesting, high-efficiency building systems, selection of WaterSense fixtures, rainwater harvesting and use of Florida-Friendly landscaping, to name a few. The energy that is required to operate the building will be offset by solar panels. When completed, it will be the first net-zero energy campus in Florida to be built for a utility.
While the campus’s buildings were designed with energy and water efficiency in mind, it is also sustainable for occupants. Careful design considerations were made on how the building could be utilized to support occupant health. The buildings will include active workstations such as sit/stand desks and treadmill workstations, views to the outdoors, access to natural daylight, continuous monitoring of indoor air quality and finishes that are easily cleanable and/or antimicrobial in nature.
The buildings and site have been designed and constructed to meet the stringent requirements of LEED® and FitWel. This project supports OUC’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Future phases are expected to include an administrative building, parking structure, and a substation. The campus will also include joint-use facilities to be occupied bythe City of St. Cloud.
