RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) when the criteria documents are completed for a design-build contractor for the demolition of the existing county facility at 651 Pine Street the Old Jail complex and the building of up to three stories of office space with parking and associated open public space on the land cleared through demolition.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The project will be paid for by a combination of new debt issuance and existing Capital Reserve Funds. The current project is estimated to cost $65 million for the two story option or $75 million for the three story option. Final pricing will depend on the bids proposals received. The County will issue new debt of $45 million dollars as part of a previously approved debt refinancing package which has an annual debt service cost of $2.8 million Existing Capital reserve Funds will be used for the other project costs estimated to be $20 million for the two story option or $30 million for the three story option. Currently, the Capital Reserve Fund has a $70 million balance.
BACKGROUND:
With the completion of the new Administration Building and the new Emergency Operations Center building all staff have moved out the 651 Pine Street administration tower. The North Wing has been vacant for over a decade. The tower portion of the complex is almost 60 years old and it is not economically feasible to rehabilitate the tower or North Wing for reuse. The County Board of Supervisors also made a commitment to the City of Martinez to demolish the tower after the new Administration Building was complete as the tower is out of scale with the buildings in downtown Martinez.
At the January 26, 2021 Board retreat staff presented four options for potential reuse of the land cleared by demolition of the 651 Pine Street complex. Feedback from the Board indicated that either a two story building, approximately 20,000 square feet of office space over approximately 80 parking spaces, or a three story building, approximately 40,000 square feet of office space over approximately 80 parking spaces, could be appropriate for the site.
As part of the demolition of the Old Jail, the contractor will be required to comply with the mitigation measures specified in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program in the 2017 environmental impact report prepared for the Downtown Martinez Jail Demolition Project. These mitigation measures include preserving a record of the Jailhouse building in accordance with National Park Service guidelines for Historic American Building Survey (HABS) documentation. These guidelines include large-format black and white or digitized photography, captions, and written documentation of the historic context and description of the building for submission to local historical repositories, including the Contra Costa County Library in Martinez. Public interpretation based on information from the HABS documentation will be used to convey the historical significance of the building in formats that may include street-side panel(s) and exhibits in nearby County or historical society venues. Mitigation measures also include, to the extent feasible, plans to reuse materials from the building in public parks and facilities in the Martinez area. A salvage plan will be prepared to identify building components that would be appropriate for use in public spaces, including public park(s). Building components for consideration will include the granite cladding, granite curbs, and possibly interior architecture, as appropriate.
Consideration of which option would be chosen would depend on final pricing, commitment from other County departments as to space needs for downtown office space and further study of parking demand and supply in the area to insure that parking provided would not burden the local street parking while also not overbuilding off street parking.
Design-Build is an alternative to the traditional Design-Bid-Build procurement methodology for public projects. The Design-Build method is allowed under a separate section of the Government Code and requires an affirmative action by the Board to allow staff to use this method. Contra Costa County has successfully used Design-Build procurement on several projects, most recently the new Administration Building and the new Emergency Operations Center. The two main advantages of Design-Build are allowing for a faster project completion and improved design flexibility. It is especially useful for this situation where we will be able to get both alternatives designed as part of the RFP and bring the successful bid to the Board with a guaranteed maximum construction price for each alternative along with the information and additional studies requested by the Board so they can make the final determination on which option to construct.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speakers: Cheryl Grover, Architectural Preservation Foundation of Contra Costa County; Melissa Jacobsen; Annette Nunez , Architectural Preservation Foundation of Contra Costa County; Nancy Wainwright, Counsel for Architectural Preservation Foundation; Reverend Douglas Van Ram of the Hint Church; Chris Carlack , founder, Architectural Preservation Foundation.