San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot Historical Rehabilitation and Seismic Upgrades

Project Description

This project involved the historical rehabilitation and seismic upgrade of a 57,538 sq. ft. passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, CA. Built in 1918 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the station was the largest railway station west of the Mississippi at its inception and now serves two Metrolink lines for Amtrak. The building, featuring Mission Revival, Moorish Revival, and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, includes distinctive architectural elements like hollow clay blocks, a red tile roof, stucco exterior, and four domed towers around a large center lobby with polished tiles, handcrafted beams, coffered ceilings, and decorative columns.

Soltek’s comprehensive scope of work included hazardous material abatement, seismic retrofitting, structural enhancements, and the replacement of mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. The project also involved installing fire sprinklers, alarms, security systems, new stairs, an elevator, a stair lift, and making ADA improvements. Restoration efforts focused on historic doors, windows, lighting, ornamental concrete scuppers, and interior finishes such as flooring, wall finishes, marble, and tile. Seismic strengthening included wrapping columns with carbon fiber, installing seismic anchors, adding shotcrete wall infills, and new structural sheathing across the roof diaphragm.

Additionally, the existing platform was improved for better functionality and ADA compliance, coordinated carefully with depot officials to avoid disrupting train services.

Project Location: San Bernadino, CA

Delivery Method: Design-Bid-Build

Owner: City of San Bernardino

Value: $11,572,798

Square Footage: 57,538 sq.ft.

Market: Government/Public Works