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Chet Holifield Federal Building

Chet Holifield Federal Building24000 Avila Rd
Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

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The Chet Holifield Federal Building is one of Orange County’s largest and easily recognizable buildings with its unique ziggurat-style architecture. The federal building is located between Alicia Parkway and La Paz Road at the Avila Road cross street. It is also the site of a large photovoltaic system that produces electricity to support building operations.

Currently, GSA is exploring potential future uses for the site of the building.

Building Information

Property Manager: Brandon Pierce

Public Hours: 7 a.m.– 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except federal holidays)

For more building information or service calls, see contact information at top right (or by scrolling down on mobile devices). For other federal government information, call 1-800-FED-INFO.

Parking and Public Transportation

Free public (and employee) parking is available at the south and east parking lots. Public transportation is provided by OCTA.

Public Access

All public visitors are required to pass through electronic security equipment located on the first floor. ADA access is available at the east entrance to the building.

Key Tenants

Major tenants are the California Service Center for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, IRS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Building Services

AMENITIES OPEN TO LOCATION HOURS OF OPERATION
Fresh Coast Bistro Public 2nd floor M-F 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Vending Machines Public 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors 24/7
Ziggurat Child Development Center Public and Federal Employees 3rd floor, Room 3409 M-F 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fitness Center Federal Employees Only 2nd floor, Room 2109 M-F 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. (closed daily 7 to 8 a.m. for cleaning)
Health Unit Federal Employees Only 3rd floor, Room 3013a M-F 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

History and Architecture

The striking Chet Holifield Federal Building was constructed in Laguna Niguel, California, between 1968 and 1971. William L. Pereira & Associates designed the building, which is unlike any other in GSA's inventory. The building has a remarkable stepped pyramid silhouette that is rare in American architecture. The unusual form references ziggurats, ancient Mesopotamian temples.

The building has seven tiers and is constructed of angled, painted, pre-cast concrete panels with reticulation, a textured finish that displays curvilinear forms. The building displays some characteristics of the Brutalist style of Modern architecture, which is distinguished by weighty, massive forms; rough, exposed concrete surfaces; broad, expansive wall planes; and recessed windows.

We are in the process of nominating the building to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

Awards

The building's multi-agency green team is the proud recipient of these awards:

  • Public Service Partnership Award, Federal Executive Board of Greater Los Angeles, 2013
  • Federal Green Challenge Education and Outreach Award, Environmental Protection Agency, 2013

Occupant Information

Access & Hours of Operation

The building is fully operational (lighting and HVAC services) from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays. Tenants may access the building 24 hours a day/7 days a week including federal holidays. A key card will be required for after-hours access. Tenants must use the south entrance for after-hours access.

PIV cards may be programmed for after-hours access. All requests for key cards must be submitted through the tenant agency’s management to the GSA Property Manager for approval. Upon approval, tenants may come to suite 4100 to have their PIV cards programmed.

Security

Contract guard service is in place to protect the property and the tenants. Your help is needed; cooperation and awareness will help them do their job. Guards are on duty 24 hours a day 7 days a week (including holidays). For all emergency or security concerns, or if no guard is available please call FPS Denver Mega Center at 1-877-437-7411.

Joint Use/Shared Services

Standard services are commonly included as part of the rent charged by GSA as documented in the Occupancy Agreement. Reimbursable services are normally excluded from the rent and are funded through a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA). Examples include after-hours lighting, special or after-hours cleaning, office space carpet cleaning, uninterruptible power services, and non-standard trash removal.

Conference Rooms: Located on the third floor in Suites 3318 and 3322 there are two joint-use conference rooms available for tenant use. Conference room 3318 seats 50, and 3322 seats 25. Suite 3318 has a projector. Neither room has telephone or internet service. Conference rooms are available for building tenants from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding federal holidays on a first-come, first-served reservation basis at no cost. Use of rooms outside these hours is possible through special arrangements with the GSA Property Manager and payment of overtime utility and security costs.

Please contact the GSA Property Management Office at 949-360-2022 to schedule use.

Building Operations

Maintenance & Service Requests: Please contact ABM 949-279-4514 or the GSA main line at 949-360-2022 during the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays for janitorial, HVAC, elevator, lighting, or any other service provided by GSA in our building. A mechanic is on duty from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Custodial Services: GSA provides cleaning for assigned space equal to commercial cleaning for similar space. The following services are standard: vacuuming, sweeping and dusting; emptying trash; servicing restrooms, lobbies, corridors, and other common areas; servicing loading docks and platforms; washing windows; and pest control. Carpet spot removal can be done on an as-needed basis. Overall shampooing is done as a reimbursable service and should take place on a regular basis to preserve the appearance and condition of the carpet.

Lighting/HVAC: Ten hours of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and lighting are provided at no additional cost during normal duty hours. Additional service outside this timeframe is available on a reimbursable basis with advanced notice to the GSA Property Management Office at 949-360-2022.

Utility Closets: Tenant and tenant vendor access to electrical and telephone closets can be obtained by contacting the operations and maintenance contractor at 949-360-2022. Please do not install equipment in these closets without first contacting the GSA Property Management Office.

Tenant Controlled Space Alteration: Space alterations should not be performed without first contacting the GSA Property Manager. GSA can provide alteration solutions to meet your needs. Alteration projects are normally funded through a Reimbursable Work Authorization (RWA). Also, it is building policy that work that might disrupt building tenants (e.g. paint fumes, construction noise, etc.) be accomplished after standard building operating hours.

Under the conditions above, if you are authorized to perform alterations within your space, you must adhere to all building-specific regulations with respect to contractor access, clearance procedures, and all other conditions governing general access and security controls relative to this building. No above-ceiling work is permitted without prior approval from the GSA Property Manager.

For any questions, please call the Property Manager at 949-360-2022.

Miscellaneous Topics

Occupant Emergency Plan: As the lead tenant in this building, the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services is responsible for creating and updating the Occupant Emergency Plan. Please take time to become familiar with it.

Displays: Please do not post or display any material outside tenant space without first contacting the GSA Property Manager. A use of space permit is required for anything posted in required space. Permits can be picked up in suite 4100.

Personal Property: Please do not put surplus items in building common space (i.e., corridors, elevators, loading dock, etc.). Doing so may impede egress should the building need to be evacuated. GSA will be glad to advise you about excessing surplus property.

Loading Docks: The loading dock is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Scheduling the use of the loading dock for deliveries, moves, etc., can be arranged through the GSA Property Manager at 949-360-2022.

If a vehicle(s) will be at the dock for more than one hour, it must be attended in the event it needs to be moved for other deliveries/services.

Deliveries: To minimize disruption to other occupants, we encourage tenants to arrange large deliveries outside of normal business hours. In the event of after-hour activities, the tenant will be responsible for arranging guard services by contacting Samantha Shintaku at 949-360-2022 or samantha.shintaku@gsa.gov.

Recycling: Tenants are encouraged to take advantage of the building-wide recycling program, which includes paper, glass bottles and jars, metal cans, plastic containers and cardboard. Any questions regarding recycling, please contact the janitorial contractor supervisor at 714-686-9808 or the GSA Property Manager at 949-360-2022.

Tenant Reading Room

GSA is committed to healthy, sustainable environments in all federal buildings. As GSA continues to assess the path forward for the Chet Holifield Federal Building, the agency will continue to provide tenants with the latest information on projects occurring in the building on this page.

Building Projects Update

February 24, 2022

Air-sampling results for the Chet Holifield Federal Building (CHFB) continue to indicate there are no recognized health hazards in areas sampled at this property. The building remains safe to occupy.

Read the latest update [PDF - 5 MB] (September 2021)

Federal Occupational Health Air Sampling Reports

Reading Room

Presentations and FAQs

Tenant Updates

Reference Documents

Additional documents are available in the GSA Field Office, Suite 4400.

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Last Reviewed: 2023-04-10
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