General Contractor for the Seismic Retrofit Project at the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse, San Juan, Puerto Rico

This GSA Public Buildings Service (PBS) memorandum, issued on February 24, 2025, by Chief Architect Charles Hardy, announces the immediate rescission of the PBS P100 Facilities Standards. In its place, the GSA has issued the PBS Interim Core Building Standards (Appendix A) to guide project managers, contracting officers, and design/construction contractors until the P100 is updated in accordance with the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The directive applies to all GSA-owned or lease-construction facilities where less than 50% of the construction activity (by dollar value) was completed as of January 21, 2025. Projects past the 50% threshold may continue using their contractually specified P100 version, implementing the new interim standards where feasible without causing significant adverse impacts. The attached Appendix A outlines a non-exhaustive index of mandatory federal laws, updated executive orders, nationally recognized codes, and agency-specific guidelines. Key requirements span across multiple disciplines: - **General & Architectural:** Compliance with the Energy Independence and Security Act, the Buy American Act, ABAAS accessibility standards, and the Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture initiative. - **Codes:** Adherence to the latest ICC I-Codes, NFPA safety standards, and environmental regulations governing hazardous materials (asbestos, lead). - **Engineering & Specialty:** Specific standards for structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and fire protection systems, alongside guidelines for specialty spaces such as U.S. Courts, Land Ports of Entry, and childcare centers. All project designs must be developed and sealed by a licensed professional in the project's jurisdiction.