The Barnhart-Reese Construction Co. is very much a family affair, and its members have a slew of current projects.

Douglas Barnhart, who entered the construction business in 1975, founded Douglas E. Barnhart Inc. in 1983 and would go on to build everything from schools and hospitals to military facilities in San Diego and beyond for the next four decades.

Barnhart eventually sold his company to Balfour Beatty in 2008. Barnhart’s daughter, Tamela, and her husband, West Reese, then co-founded what would later become Barnhart-Reese Construction, Inc.

Douglas Barnhart is still active in the industry, serving as chairman of Barnhart-Reese Construction and leading projects for his other companies.

Tamela Barnhart Rees meanwhile, is president of Barnhart-Reese Construction, managing much of its daily business operations. She and her staff are experienced in federal and state prevailing wage requirements as well as California mechanic’s lien laws. She also is instrumental in the development of new programs, policies, and procedures for the burgeoning company.

West Reese is the chief executive officer of Barnhart-Reese, overseeing much of the construction operations. His project experience includes the modernization of Mission Middle School for the Escondido Union School District; the construction of Del Norte High School for the Poway Unified School District; and the construction of UC San Diego’s Spanos Athletic Performance Center.

Reese’s projects for the military alone have included work at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, NAS North Island, Naval Base Point Loma, and NAWS China Lake.

Barnhart-Reese Construction is currently working on or slated to work on at least a half dozen projects in San Diego County.

One of its biggest is the upcoming development of the $60 million East Village Green Community Park. The 4.1-acre park will contain a 13,657-square-foot, two-story community center with gymnasium, multipurpose room, training and commercial kitchen, conference room, and offices.

Additionally, the park will feature a children’s playground, off-leash dog parks, water fountain feature, rock climbing wall, games area, public restrooms, and a 176-space, two-level underground parking garage with vegetative roofing.

Construction of East Village Green Community Park is schedule to begin in the summer of 2025.

The project will require the moving of two historic buildings. The Historic Murray Apartment Building and Daggett Family Residence will be relocated nearby and rehabilitated, according to the Secretary of Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic properties.

Buildings located at 764 14th Street, 1330-1340 G Street, and 705 14th Street, meanwhile, will be demolished.

Barnhart-Reese is providing lease-leaseback services for a district office modernization project at San Dieguito Union High School. It will involve upgrading the current 17,690-square-foot, two-story district office building at 710 Encinitas Boulevard.

Common areas will be brought up to current code with updated stairs, a new 3,500-pound gurney accessible elevator, and new restroom layouts. Energy retrofits include operable insulated windows, new HVAC units, and light fixtures.

Construction on the San Dieguito District office is slated for completion this October.

Barnhart-Reese is currently providing preconstruction services for the $17.7 million modernization of Baker Elementary School in the Mountain View area of San Diego for the San Diego Unified School District.

The project includes the addition of a 5,620-square-foot administration building along with a remodel of portions of another building, modernization of classrooms, improvements to building systems, interiors, exterior spaces, and removal of excess portable classroom buildings. Building system upgrades include security, safety, electrical, and plumbing. Interior repairs and renovations of the existing campus include work in the restrooms, new classroom, and finishes.

Exterior improvements include a new parking lot and improvements to student pickup and drop-off area, and concrete work repairs throughout the site to improve accessibility. The project also utilizes solar photovoltaic canopies in the new parking lot.

Work is expected to be completed in February 2026.

Barnhart-Reese Construction also is working on the $10.7 million modernization of Fulton School on Skyline Drive in San Diego. It’s performing modernization work throughout the campus and limited new construction.

Site improvements include accessible path of travel upgrades, a new trash enclosure, new fencing, new enclosed bike rack, asphalt improvements, and three new shade structures. Site work will include miscellaneous stormwater, sewer, and water upgrades as well.

Most building interior spaces and exterior facades will have improvements while all restrooms will be upgraded and lighting will be replaced with LEDs. Fulton School’s existing library will be converted to a new front office and provide a secure single point of entry. The existing library will be relocated and a vestibule will be added.

The Fulton School work is expected to be completed in July 2025.

Barnhart-Reese Construction is providing lease- and leaseback services for the whole site modernization of Pacific View Elementary School in the Lincoln Acres area of the South Bay.

The scope of the $16.6 million project includes the renovation of four existing classroom buildings and upgrades to the library building. A 1,800-square-foot addition will be added to the administration building.

Other upgrades include restrooms, classrooms, food service and auditorium improvements while three classrooms will be converted to two kindergarten spaces.

The seven existing portables on site will be demolished and removed to make room for site work improvements, including hard surface upgrades, play equipment, fabric shade structures, and a new parking lot and drop-off area for the school. The final phase will be the new shared joint-use field with the city of San Diego.

Barnhart-Reese Construction is providing lease-leaseback services for the whole site modernization of Paradise Hills Elementary School in the Bay Terraces area for the San Diego Unified School District.

The $21.4 million project will consist of the modernization of seven existing buildings, the demolition of one classroom building and 11 portables, the construction of a two-story classroom/administration building, site work improvements, and a new shared joint-use field with the City of San Diego.