Item No. 6.
TO:HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY:MATTHEW BAUMGARDNER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS/CITY ENGINEER DATE:MAY 26, 2026
SUBJECT:
APPROVAL OF A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WITH BERNARDS BROS. INC. FOR
THE INSPIRATION SHUTTLE EXHIBIT AND EDUCATION BUILDING, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NO. 21-18
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council will consider approving a construction contract with Bernards Bros. Inc. in the amount of $17,957,000 for the Inspiration Shuttle Exhibit and Education Building, Capital Improvement Project (CIP) No. 21-
18. The expansion of the existing Columbia Memorial Space Center will create two new buildings, the larger of which will be home to the Space Shuttle Inspiration mock-up and several education exhibits. This contract and these services are necessary for the construction of the buildings and all pertinent improvements to complete the museum expansion. Full construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by December 2027, with an expected grand opening in Summer 2028.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council:
1. Award a construction contract to Bernards Bros. Inc. (Bernards) in the amount of $17,957,000; and
2. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Construction Contract with Bernards in the amount of $17,957,000, including up to a 10% contingency, for any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to the authorized budget amount of $21,951,700.
BACKGROUND
The Columbia Memorial Space Center is embarking on a second building expansion project (Project) to create a hub of creative and critical thinking for the youth and families of Southeast Los Angeles. This Project intends to create an integrated campus that includes a new building dedicated to bringing the community together through hands-on learning to serve the region. The expansions includes: (1) a 39,725 square-foot building that will house the Space Shuttle “Inspiration” along with several exhibits, (2) a 15,300 square-foot building that will include two youth STEM classrooms, and (3) outdoor gathering spaces.
To date, there has been significant work to get the project ready for construction bid, including:
January 2022, LPA, Inc, the project Architect, began the design of the Project. 2022, Rachlin Partners LLC/Huckabee, the Project Management/Construction Management firm, began providing its management services.
2023, UltraSystems, Inc, the Environmental Consultant, began the environmental analysis of the Project. 2024, Knight Building Systems, the Pre-Engineered Metal Building (PEMB) manufacturer, began its design of the PEMB structure for the building.
Today, the environmental analysis and design of the project are completed, while Knight Building System is currently completing the fabrication of the PEMB structure offsite.
ANALYSIS
On October 28, 2025, the City Council approved plans and specifications and granted authority to advertise the Project for construction bids. Due to the high-profile nature of the facility, the sensitivity of the assets to be protected, and the complexity of the shuttle sequencing constraint, staff determined that prequalification of bidders was warranted to ensure that only contractors with demonstrated experience constructing comparable high-profile facilities, a proven record of protecting large or sensitive assets, and the financial capacity, bonding strength, and safety performance necessary to deliver a project of this scale would be eligible to bid, thereby reducing the risk of construction delays, cost overruns, and damage to the irreplaceable Space Shuttle "Inspiration" components during construction.
The prequalification process was conducted in conformance with the California Department of Industrial Relations for Public Works projects.
The Notice Requesting Prequalification was issued on January 5, 2026. Prequalification Packages were received through PlanetBids on February 3, 2026. The City received 12 Packages which were evaluated by a committee against a combination of Pass/Fail essential requirements and points-based scoring criteria. On March 11, 2026, the City adopted the final list of three (3) prequalified bidders which included: Balfour Beatty Construction LLC, Bernards Bros, Inc., and PCL Construction Services, Inc.
On March 17, 2026, staff issued the Notice Inviting Bids in a closed bidding session to the prequalified bidders.
Bids were received and publicly opened on May 18, 2026. The bid results were as follows:
Contractor Bid Amount
Bernards Bros, Inc. $17,957,000
PCL Construction Services, Inc.$18,057,453
Balfour Beatty Construction LLC $18,964,630
The lowest responsive and responsible bidder is Bernards in the amount of $17,957,000. Bernards has satisfactorily completed projects of similar scale and complexity for the County of Riverside, Yorba Linda, Kern Community College District, and the County of Fresno. They have demonstrated that they are capable of delivering this project safely and successfully. Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council award a contract to Bernards for the construction of the Inspiration Shuttle Exhibit and Education Building, CIP No. 21-18 (Attachment A).
Full construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by December 2027, with an expected grand opening in Summer 2028.
The second building expansion project represents a key milestone of Phase 1 of the Columbia Memorial Space Center Capital Campaign program. Completion of the construction of the second building expansion and the concurrent restoration of the Space-shuttle Inspiration, which will be housed within the facility, constitutes the completion of Phase I of the project. Phases II and III will follow thereafter. Funding for the follow-on phases of the project, to raise the approximate need of $20 million, is currently underway and ramping up.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Quality of Life, Safety & Infrastructure
Public Engagement
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action will result in an expenditure of approximately $26,108,954 as shown in the table below:
Description Amount
Design and Preliminary Engineering $1,500,000
Design and Fabrication of PEMB $3,876,254
Construction Contract $17,957,000
Contingencies (10%)$1,795,700
Environmental Services (Estimate)$30,000
Special Inspection Services (Estimate)$150,000
Construction Engineering and Contract Administration $800,000 Total Project Cost:$26,108,954
There will be sufficient fund balances for the recommended actions as shown in the table below:
Account
No.Funding Source Amount
26-1-6829 CA State Natural Resources Grant GF1909-0 $5,000,000 26-1-6829 CA State Natural Resources Grant GF2337-0 $2,718,000 26-1-6829 HUD Grant B-23-CP-CA-0201 $1,000,000
40-1-6829 Capital Projects Fund $14,673,455
Future Funding - Fundraising Efforts Underway $2,717,499 Total Project Funding:$26,108,954