COMPLETION OF WORK ON SANTA CRUZ LIGHTHOUSE MARKS END OF AN ERA

SANTA CRUZ -- Devcon Construction closed a chapter in history when it finished work in October 2001 on what is rumored to be the last-ever lighthouse built on the U.S. West Coast. The fully operational, 45-foot tall landmark, located on Santa Cruz Port District property at the harbor's breakwater, features a copper roof, a spiral staircase, and the classic lighthouse profile with which we are all familiar.

"The lighthouse is a battered concrete building, meaning that it is wider at its base than at its top," noted Project Manager Ron Huett. "The biggest obstacle we faced during construction was the fact that the structure's foundation is only six feet from the waves, so we were constantly being chased away by high tides. Overall, this was a very fun and special project for me and everyone involved - especially if this is the last lighthouse ever built on the West Coast."

With the Port Authority as its owner, the lighthouse will be used by the U.S. Coast Guard to patrol the Santa Cruz shores. The engineering firm of Mesetti & Miller designed the lighthouse, which was built solely with private funds thanks to an effort put together by members of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club.

Milpitas-based Devcon is the largest general building contractor based in Silicon Valley, and it maintains a regional office in Santa Cruz to manage projects along the coast. With building experience throughout Northern California, Devcon has constructed industrial parks, commercial centers and landmark office buildings, in all totaling some 35 million square feet of shells and interiors.