In an important symbol of America’s commitment to an enduring friendship with the people of the India, as well as the importance of our bilateral relationship with the Indian Government, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns dedicated the new United States Consulate General facility in Mumbai today. Deputy Secretary Burns was joined by U.S. Consul General Peter Haas, Chargé A. Peter Burleigh, Maharashtra Minister for Health and Protocol Suresh Shetty, and U.S. Department of State Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) Director of Construction Management, Robert Browning, in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The new Consulate facility, located in the Bandra-Kurla Complex of Mumbai, reflects the growing partnership between the United States and India, and features expanded space for all consulate operations. The new facility was designed to incorporate green building techniques and to incorporate the principles of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The multi-building complex provides more than 350 consulate employees with a secure, sustainable, and pleasant workplace.
The Consulate’s art collection, curated by the Department’s Office of Art in Embassies, brings together a wide range of artists, primarily Indian and American, working in materials that range from photography, enamel, and watercolor, to painted aluminum, muslin, and lacquer. Despite their multiplicity, the featured works share an acknowledgement of the artistic, philosophical and spiritual legacies of India.
Yates-Desbuild Joint Venture of Atlanta, Georgia constructed the facility, which was designed by architectural firm URS of Washington, DC. The $111 million project generated jobs in both the United States and India. The new facility was completed in October 2011, and involved more than 10,000 workers in its construction.
Since the 1999 enactment of the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act, the Department has moved more than 26,000 people into safer facilities. OBO has completed 88 diplomatic facilities and has an additional 40 projects in design or construction.
OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities for the conduct of U.S. diplomacy and the promotion of U.S. interests worldwide. These facilities represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution. For further information, please visit the OBO website at http://www.state.gov/obo, or contact Angelina Rotella at RotellaA@state.gov or (703) 875-6763.
