Challenge. Evaluate remediation options to enable renovation of the last remaining historic hotel in downtown Albuquerque
Solution. The historic Hotel La Posada de Albuquerque in downtown Albuquerque was built in 1939 by Conrad Hilton and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The hotel is in a metropolitan redevelopment area and its renovation is a major catalyst in revitalizing the entire downtown Albuquerque area. INTERA prepared an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) to evaluate various remediation options. Significant quantities of asbestos and lead-based paint (LBP) were present throughout the hotel. The EE/CA was conducted to support the use of funds from the City of Albuquerque’s Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund for a portion of the remediation efforts at the hotel. The EE/CA documented the alternative selection process for a non-time critical removal action and was completed in accordance with 40 CFR 300.415 of the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. The EE/CA included: an evaluation of the environmental hazards associated with rehabilitating the hotel; estimates of the cost for removal/ abatement of the hazardous components of the facility; identification of the Removal Action Alternatives (RAAs) necessary to meet the objectives of the EE/CA; a detailed analysis of the RAAs using the criteria of effectiveness, implementability, and cost; and recommendation of an appropriate removal action. INTERA also provided project management for the asbestos and LBP abatement during the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified renovation and prepared a self-certification document, submitted to the U.S. EPA, for the voluntary remediation activities. The results of our work supported a $30 million full-scale renovation of the hotel which has re-opened under a new name, Hotel Andaluz. It is the first historic hotel in the United States to be renovated and receive LEED certification.
