CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting: February 21, 2023
Subject
Consider the City Hall Renovation Project update.
Recommended Action
Staff requests City Council re-affirm the direction previously provided for the City Hall Renovation Project.
Reasons for Recommendation:
On January 17, Council requested a future agenda item to allow Council to reconsider direction on the City Hall Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project provided at the November 15, 2022. Before proceeding further with development of the CIP FY23-24 proposal, staff requests confirmation from City Council regarding the November 15, 2022, direction.
Background
The City of Cupertino began exploring the possibility of a capital project focused on replacing or renovating City Hall in 2005. Further information on the various avenues explored is available on the Civic Center Master Plan Archive webpage, found at Cupertino.org/CivicCenter.
At the July 19, 2022, Council meeting, Council created the City Hall Project Subcommittee (Subcommittee,) and Councilmembers Moore and Willey were appointed to it. The purpose of the Subcommittee was to review the City Hall facility, evaluate viable solutions and bring forward recommendations for Council’s consideration. The review included options for seismic upgrades to the existing building, renovations to the existing building, replacement of the existing building, and other elements that support ongoing City operations. To support the work of the Subcommittee, staff compiled information on a project specific webpage Cupertino.org/CIP_CityHall. Presentations to the Subcommittee are also posted on this webpage.
Attachment B is a list of notable action items by City Council regarding a new or renovated City Hall CIP project.
Most recently, the Subcommittee evaluated solutions for a City Hall Renovation Project. The Subcommittee reviewed details of facility needs for City Hall in a series of six meetings. These meetings covered six broad topics. Each topic was independently important and included project costs and funding.
The Subcommittee presented their findings to City Council on November 15, 2022, which included:
The combination of space needs, seismic deficiencies, and deferred capital maintenance to justify an investment in the City Hall facility.
Incorporating the Emergency Operation Center into the City Hall Annex project removed the requirement to upgrade City Hall to a Category IV building.
The successful acquisition of the City Hall Annex property provides additional space for City operations.
Although parking has been challenging, new dynamics in the workplace combined with small capacity improvements may alleviate the immediate need for additional parking, allowing for the decision on expanding parking to be deferred.
The City’s strong financial position allows for a project cost of up to $45 million.
A City Hall renovation project with an estimated cost of $25,600,000 can meet the business needs of the City for the foreseeable future.
The Subcommittee recommended that the City Council consider directing staff to include the City Hall Renovation project in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 CIP Budget, which provides for a renovation of City Hall to Category II seismic standards, addresses deferred capital maintenance, and considers space programming needs. The target project cost would be approximately $25,600,000. Separately, programming of parking solutions for short and medium-term modest increases in parking were included while retaining larger more costly parking additions for future evaluation. Council’s action was aligned with these recommendations, with the notable difference of increasing the project to Risk Category IV for a slightly increased cost.
The November 15,2022 Council action was to:
Receive the report of the City Hall Project Subcommittee; and Direct staff to include the City Hall Renovation – including full seismic retrofit, MEP/IT, interior finishes, and layout complete refurbishment, at the level of California Building Code’s structural “Risk Category IV” for approximately $27,500,000, as part of the fiscal year 2023-24 proposed CIP project and budget.
The motion carried 4-1 with Councilmember Wei voting no.
Sustainability Impact
Future projects will be evaluated for sustainability impacts as they are developed.
Fiscal Impact
There is no present fiscal impact. Future budget allocations will be made through the annual budget process.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA):
Future projects will be evaluated for CEQA requirements as they are developed. _____________________________________
Prepared by: Susan Michael, Capital Improvement Programs Manager Reviewed by: Chad Mosley, Interim Director of Public Works Reviewed by: Matt Morley, Assistant City Manager
Approved for Submission by: Pamela Wu, City Manager
Attachments:
A – City Council Minutes 11-15-2022
B - City Council Timeline City Hall Project