The city’s Planning Commission approved the use of 5.38 acres of land on the edge of the Sacramento River for the development of the Powerhouse Science Center – a project that will transform the historic Pacific Gas & Electric power station into a high-tech, hands-on, science museum. The $50 million project was unanimously approved at the Planning Commission meeting Thursday. The Powerhouse project, a design-build project by local firms Dreyfus & Blackford Architects and Otto Construction, will be a relocation and expansion of the existing Sacramento Discovery Museum Science and Space Center located on Auburn Boulevard. “The new (science) center will provide clear ways for us to explore

In an industry still dominated by men, Otto Construction’s female employees have no problem calling the shots. Many construction workers may not be used to women working on construction sites. Some guys are afraid they'll say or do something wrong in front of a woman. A lot of men are overly polite and even go out of their way not to swear. Most of the time, though, the vibe isn't negative, women at the company said. Some men simply don't know what to expect. Many, especially those from small companies or subcontractors, have never worked with women on a building project.  "I think we have to overcome that question mark the way men don't," said Caralyn Hethcock, a 28-year-old project en

A steel worker prepares to guide a steel girder coming his way atop the new headquarters of the California State Lottery Commission (above) and a big beam is guided towards two support beams (below).   The California Lottery began construction on its new 155,000-square-foot headquarters located just north of Richards Boulevard at the intersection of 10th and Vine. Otto Construction was the winner from the 14 companies that had been vying for the contract. Work began this spring and is expected to be completed July 2011, according to an unidentified construction worker. LPAS, formerly LPA Sacramento Inc. is the architect on the project. According to a press release ,"the new building i

One can't help but wonder what brothers Charles and Francis Ebner would think, seeing their two hotels rising from the dust more than 150 years after they were first built. Construction to rebuild the historic, three-story Ebner Hotel/Empire House is less than two months away from being finished. It's no surprise, then, when Sacramento residents gawk at what appear to be two new Gold Rush-era buildings nearing completion in the heart of Old Sacramento. "People ignore it until it's all the way up. Then they're like — where'd this come from?" said Debora Fee, who's overseeing construction as project manager for Otto Construction. The Ebner Hotel and Empire House were built on K Street, b

A robotics lab program for children is expected to be built for the Powerhouse Science Center by summer. AT&T, which will announce a $25,000 donation Tuesday, is joining Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Otto Construction and Sacramento City Councilmember Sandy Sheedy to create a portable lab that will be set up at the Discovery Museum. The program will be transferred to the new science center, which is expected to open in about three years. This is the first program for the center to be fully funded, said Beth Callahan, director of development and marketing for the Discovery Museum. "We are on track," she said. A capital campaign is under way to build a science museum on a four-acre campus cent

Despite temperatures that soared past 100 degrees, construction crews worked hard this week to help K Street get its groove back. Sacramento Regional Transit supervisors have been on-site daily to inspect, while crews selected by general contractor Otto Construction dug trenches and laid electrical conduit for a new light rail stop and handicapped-accessible "mini-high" platform on Seventh Street. The roughly $4.5 million first phase of the K Street makeover includes a facelift for St. Rose of Lima Park, a light rail platform relocation and a streetscape renovation for the 700 block of K Street Mall. The city and Sacramento Regional Transit are partnering on the project. The long-term go