DATE: December 18, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: AWARD OF A PUBLIC WORKS AGREEMENT FOR THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER BUILDING REHABILITATION PROJECT AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends that the City Council approve a budget appropriation in the amount of $2,053,795 from the General Fund Infrastructure account to award a Public Works Agreement (PWA) to Fordyce Construction, Inc. (Fordyce), in the amount of $3,247,358, for the construction of the Crown Heights Resource Center Building rehabilitation project; and authorize the City Engineer to execute Contract Change Orders up to 15% of the total contract value $487,104 for a total not to exceed amount of $3,734,462; and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement upon receipt of all supporting documents.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The City’s Crown Heights Resource Center, located on 1210 Division Street, was designed by renowned Architect Irving Gill in 1930 and built in 1931. It originally housed an “Americanization School”; however, by the early 1990s the structure became vacant and dilapidated. In 1994, the building was renovated and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In July 2001, the building was transitioned into the Crown Heights Resource Center that stands today. The Crown Heights Resource Center serves as a vital hub within the neighborhood fostering social cohesion, providing resident support services, and enhancing the overall well-being of community members through a variety of events and programs offered by the City and other community groups such as food distributions, reading campaigns, community workshops and meetings, and computer labs.
Due to the age and condition of the structure, the proposed Crown Heights Rehabilitation Project (the “Project”) was added to the City’s Capital Improvement Program and identified in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan. Assessments conducted over recent years identified critical building improvements, including architectural, engineering, and structural needs. The assessments also identified accessibility issues which must be addressed for compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
In September 2022, the City advertised a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Historic Structure Assessment Report and Related Services for a consultant team to determine the scope of required improvements and conduct the first phase of the rehabilitation process. The following outlines how the project has progressed over the last two years:
• January 2023: Phase 1 assessment began and was completed in mid-May 2023. The report provided recommendations regarding the environmental permits required for the building rehabilitation, the feasibility of constructing those improvements given the building’s identification in the National Registry of Historic Places, and structural recommendations to be implemented in Phase 2.
• May 17, 2023: The City Council approved a PSA with Heritage Architecture & Planning for architectural and engineering design and environmental services to develop “shovel ready” construction documents for the proposed rehabilitation project, thereby initiating Phase 2. For Phase 2, the consultant team prepared documentation detailing specific construction and landscaping requirements for the proposed project in order to advertise the project for construction (Phase 3).
• October 8, 2024: For Phase 3, Staff advertised the Project for construction bids. The Project would complete interior and exterior improvements for restoring the existing building and bringing the site into compliance with ADA standards, while respecting and maintaining key architectural features of the historic site.
Specifically, the proposed interior building rehabilitation includes structural repairs and modifications to accommodate new mechanical and electrical upgrades, layout modifications, addition of an all-gender accessible restroom, as well as modifications to the existing kitchenette, and new paint and flooring refinishing. The proposed exterior rehabilitation includes walkway and parking lot improvements and accessibility upgrades, landscaping and irrigation improvements, restoration of exterior finishes and materials, restoration of the exterior door and window openings, and replacement of the exterior fencing, built-up roof, and turf.
On November 5, 2024, one bid was received and publicly opened (Attachment 2). The responsible and responsive bidder was Fordyce Construction, Inc., with a bid amount of $3,247,358. Staff analyzed the proposed bid costs received and determined that they are appropriate due to previous experience with the stringent requirements of projects funded with CBDG federal funds including the application of the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). BABA applies a domestic content procurement to projects, requiring that all iron, steel, manufactured products and construction materials used in the project must be produced in the United States in an effort to bolster America’s industrial base, and support high-paying jobs. These requirements are mandated by federal law, and are a main factor of the increased project costs. Lastly, because the project is rehabilitating a historic building, the price of materials and labor is generally more expensive given the specialized nature of the work.
Throughout the development of the Project scope and timeline, public outreach has been a key component. Staff held various public outreach meetings in the Crown Heights neighborhood to collect community input on project elements and facilitate opportunities to provide information and updates as the project progressed. Staff held a final outreach meeting on December 10, 2024 to provide the public with a Project update and to inform them of the plans to temporarily locate delivery of community services and activities.
Once approved, the Phase 3 rehabilitation project is expected to commence in early 2025 and last approximately 12 months. During the closure and rehabilitation of the Resource Center building, services will be provided at modular units installed at the Brooks Street pocket park (located at the northeast corner of Brooks Street and Country Club Lane) for Housing Services, and at North County Lifeline’s “La Casita” (402 Brooks St) for youth programs. These temporary locations were selected in coordination with the community. Costs for the temporary service locations is not included in the constructions costs as the funds were appropriated prior to the request for construction funds.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total construction costs for the proposed Crown Heights Resource Center Rehabilitation project, including staff time, and project contingency, is estimated to be $4,062,388. The CDBG Crown Heights ADA account 821166319237.5395 and the ARPA Crown Heights Rehab account 837180222271.5703 have available balances of $793,593 and $1,215,000, respectively. A budget increase of $2,053,795 will be needed to cover the costs of the improvements. Therefore, staff is requesting an appropriation from the General Fund Infrastructure Account 101.3020.0054, which has an available balance of $23,091,931. Staff is requesting for the funds to be appropriated to the Crown Heights Rehabilitation account 907196424503.5703. Thus, $2,053,795 will be appropriated from the General Fund Infrastructure account into the Crown Heights Rehabilitation account.
|
Description |
Total Project Costs |
Request to Appropriate |
Account Number |
Funding Source |
|
Crown Heights Resource Center Rehabilitation |
$4,062,388 |
$2,053,795 |
907196424503.5703 |
General Fund Assigned Infrastructure 101.3020.0054 |
|
A transfer of $2,053,795 is required from account 1101.6900.0501 to account 907196424503.5703 |
Funding to complete Phase 3 of the project is shown on the table below:
|
Description |
Costs Share by Funding/Accounts |
Construction Costs |
|
|
CDBG 821166319237.5395 |
ARPA 837180222271.5703 |
Crown Heights Rehabilitation 907196424503.5703 |
|
|
Construction Contract |
$793,593 |
$1,215,000 |
$1,238,765 |
$3,247,358 |
|
15% Cost Contingency |
N/A |
N/A |
$487,103 |
$487,103 |
|
Project Staff Time |
N/A |
N/A |
$327,927 |
$327,927 |
|
Total Estimated Costs |
$793,593 |
$1,215,000 |
$2,053,795 |
$4,062,388 |
The 15 percent (15%) contingency is requested to address potential building conditions that might require field change orders, avoiding construction schedule delays, and ensuring the Crown Heights Resource Center is re-opened to resume services within the expected timeline.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the California State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) National Historic Preservation Act Guidelines Section 106, and pursuant to 36 CFR Part 800.5 (b), the action for the City Council to approve the proposed PWA proposes “No Adverse Effect” and the SHPO does not object to the City’s rehabilitation project.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The Oceanside Historic Preservation Advisory Commission (OHPAC) reviewed the proposed rehabilitation project at its special meeting held on October 29, 2024. After due consideration, OHPAC adopted Resolution 2024-H05 recommending approval of the proposed project to the City Council by a 5-0 vote. The recommended PWA with Fordyce was not discussed with OHPAC as it is outside of that Commission’s purview. Following the OHPAC recommendation, the City Council approved Historical Permit (H24-00002) on December 4, 2024.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The referenced documents have been reviewed by the City Attorney and approved as to form. The contract must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid is responsive to the solicitation. The Public Contract Code defines "responsible bidder" as a bidder who has demonstrated the attributes of trustworthiness as well as quality, fitness, capacity and experience to satisfactorily perform a public works contract. The City Council also has the discretion to reject all bids and re-advertise.
end
Prepared by: Victor Velasco, Principal Engineer
Reviewed by: Darlene Nicandro, Development Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Bid Tabulation