GSA awards $33.2 million contract to Native-owned small business for expansion of the Pacific Highway port of entry in Washington

October 08, 2024

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda

TACOMA, Wash. - The U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) has awarded a $33,203,279.70 contract to T1-RJS Joint Venture LLC for the design and construction of the expanded Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine, Wash., as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. The modernization project will bolster safety and security, while alleviating congestion and wait times for travelers and strengthening the local economy.

The award was made to a Pacific Northwest small business through the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development program. The North Bend, Oregon-based LLC is a collaboration between Tribal One (T1), a tribally owned company of the Coquille Indian Tribe, and woman-owned, Native American-owned RJS Construction, Inc. This award highlights GSA's commitment to collaborating and building more robust outreach to promote opportunities for small, disadvantaged socioeconomic entities.

"The Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry is another example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is Investing in America to keep our country safe and build a more sustainable future, while expanding opportunities for small businesses," said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. "These investments are a triple win - creating good jobs that boost our economy and national security, saving taxpayer dollars through reduced energy costs, and building a stronger and more prosperous future for our communities."

The Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry expansion project will modernize the port, altering its current traffic configuration to better meet the needs of the traveling public. GSA plans to add four primary vehicle inspection lanes and one outbound inspection lane to the port, and to further support the NEXUS program. Additionally, the port will have enhanced secondary inspection capabilities, including six enlarged bays for vehicle inspections. All inspection areas will include extended overhead canopies, new pavement and upgraded lighting.

The $33 million port expansion is funded with $25 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and $8 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA funds are being used to construct new lanes and canopies using low embodied carbon concrete and steel. This project's material-related emissions will be reduced by an estimated 190 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared to industry averages for the steel and concrete being installed. That is equivalent to the emissions a gas-powered car would generate by driving around the Earth 25 times. Material selections include over 4,900 cubic yards of low embodied concrete that meets GSA's "Top 40%" global warming potential threshold.

"You cannot have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, more people and goods will be able to safely and efficiently travel across the U.S.-Canada border at the Pacific Highway Land Port of Entry in Blaine - the largest and busiest port of entry in the Pacific Northwest," said Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. "A more modern port of entry will also reduce congestion and wait times for travelers, improve public safety, and further promote cross-border trade and tourism in the United States and Canada."

"For over 50 years, the SBA's 8(a) Program has a strong track record of making government contracting accessible to small disadvantaged businesses," said SBA's Portland District Director Martin Golden. "Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, this project will facilitate a more efficient border crossing. This joint venture between a woman owned and tribally owned businesses fulfills the SBA's goal of increasing opportunities to underserved small businesses. The SBA is proud of our partnerships with federal agencies like GSA."

This announcement furthers the Biden-Harris Administration's Federal Buy Clean Initiative, under which the federal government is, for the first time, prioritizing the purchase of low-embodied carbon concrete and steel that entail lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. These investments aim to expand America's industrial capacity for manufacturing goods and materials of the future, address the climate crisis and create good-paying jobs for workers in the region.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a total of $3.4 billion for GSA to build and modernize land ports of entry on the country's northern and southern borders. The investments will improve commerce and trade, create good-paying construction jobs, and incorporate new and innovative sustainability features.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize, and maintain more sustainable and cost-efficient high-performance facilities. This funding includes $2.15 billion specifically for low embodied carbon construction materials. GSA's Inflation Reduction Act projects will implement new technologies and accelerate GSA's efforts toward achieving a net-zero emissions federal building portfolio by 2045. Through these investments, GSA estimates a total greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 2.3 million metric tons, the same amount that 500,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles produce each year.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing over $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA's mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

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