DATE:July 20, 2026
TO:Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA:Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
FROM:Derek Schweigart, Parks and Recreation Director
Justin Lai, Senior Civil Engineer
DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation Department
SUBJECT:COMMUNITY CENTER REBUILD PROJECT (CIP 301-678)
GENERAL UPDATE
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council, by Minute Order, receive and accept the general update report on the Community Center Rebuild Project formally known as the Recreation Center Rebuild Project.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff will provide a verbal update of the latest Project activities at the City Council meeting. The Project update will consist of this staff report and the attached Construction Manager’s Report. Some of the notable highlights from the past two months of the Project include:
Permanent power was received from PG&E.
The existing parking lot was resurfaced and restriped. Carpet was installed and the polished concrete floors continued to be worked on. Finishes and trims continued to be installed throughout the building. Testing and commissioning began for electrical and life safety systems.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
During the months of May and June, project efforts successfully shifted toward interior and exterior finishes, system testing, commissioning, and close coordination with City staff. Visually, the building advanced significantly with the installation of architectural finishes and trims throughout the interior and exterior, including wood grille ceilings, exterior paneling, shades, and interior hardware. The café was further built out and carpeted flooring was installed in various areas of the building. Simultaneously, civil and site work progressed on the surrounding grounds with additional concrete placement and landscaping. To maximize efficiency, the existing parking lot was also closed for one week to complete essential resurfacing and restriping.
A major milestone was achieved in early May with the establishment of permanent utility power. This enabled the contractor to initiate critical startup and testing procedures for all electrical, IT, audiovisual, elevator, and life safety systems. The activation of these core systems required extensive coordination and a heavy schedule of inspections by multiple entities, including the City’s Building and IT departments, as well as the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department. Additionally, startup and testing procedures commenced for the facility's emergency generator, positioning the project well for its upcoming milestones.
During the construction, submittal, and request for information (RFI) process, it was found that multiple aspects of the design required additional scope or modifications which resulted in Contract Change Order #15 (CCO15) and Contract Change Order #16 (CCO16).
CCO15 consisted of the following items:
1. Plumbing and electrical revisions due to Bulletin 6, including garbage disposal- related plumbing/electrical work, added switched receptacles, receptacle relocations/additions, and related sink/hand dryer coordination. The additional cost for materials and labor was $36,699.
2. Exploratory excavation, plugging and pumping to expose the existing storm drain. Implementation of the City’s direction to address the storm drain leak, including patching and slurry backfill. The additional cost for materials and labor was $12,560.
3. Ultra High-Performance Cementitious panel fastener had a discrepancy which resulted in a settlement. The additional cost for materials and labor was $19,291.
4. Additional work for the quartz countertop associated with the sink cutout, edge work, and backsplash fabrication. The additional cost for materials and labor was $8,927.
5. EIFS (Exterior Insulated Finish System) reveals at the exterior wall finish areas that were not identified on the original drawing elevations. The additional cost for materials and labor was $9,723.
6. Modification of the DOAS (Dedicated Outside Air Supply) mechanical equipment access panels due to the interference with the adjacent gutter, limiting proper access for future maintenance. The additional cost for materials and labor was $6,491.
7. Changes in the wire rope railing due to the material not meeting the engineered safety requirements. The additional cost for materials and labor was $12,928.
8. Furnishing and installing two automated external defibrillators (AED) that were not included in the original contract. The additional cost for materials and labor was $8,316.
9. A credit was given for accepting the installation of a smooth tile instead of a textured one for two of the restrooms. The credit was ($5,000).
10.To reduce public inconvenience, weekend work was requested to complete the parking lot resurfacing and striping within a week. The additional cost for labor was $2,892.
11.Additional topsoil was required for landscape grading. The additional cost for materials and labor was $17,128.
12.Taping and electrical relocations were required due to the added soffits that were not specified in the original contract. The additional cost for materials and labor was $5,616.
The total cost of CCO15 was $135,571.
CCO16 consisted of the following items:
1. Audiovisual system upgrades in Fitness Rooms 208A and 208B incorporated through Bulletin 11. The additional cost for materials and labor was $8,252.
2. Modifications, detailing, fabrication, and installation of the architectural curving soffit at the barrel roofs. The additional cost for materials and labor was $22,643.
3. Audiovisual equipment originally specified was discontinued and unavailable after the bid. The discontinued Crestron components were substituted with current manufacturer equipment. The additional cost for materials and labor was $31,554.
4. Additional work for the removal of temporary foam block-outs at exposed structural columns and installation of concrete infill. The additional cost for materials and labor was $9,555.
5. Additional rooftop condensate piping installation required that were not indicated in the original contract documents. The additional cost for materials and labor was $9,698.
6. Furnishing and installation of corner guards required by the conformed specifications that were not included in the original bid documents. The additional cost for materials and labor was $2,686.
7. Additional work to resolve constructability conflicts in the original design on stair 1 flashing. The additional cost for materials and labor was $20,051.
The total cost of CCO16 was $104,439.
The remaining contingency balance following the execution of CCO16 is $3,133,713, which is 70.2% of the approved contingency and the revised contract amount is $45,954,887.
Upcoming Construction Activity
In July, project coordination will focus heavily on comprehensive equipment startup, system commissioning, and essential regulatory inspections. Key activities will include HVAC testing and balancing, building system and lighting control programming, and the integration of core building infrastructure. Simultaneously, technology and security milestones will advance through telecom room turnover, IP programming, telecom testing, audio-visual integration, and access control and surveillance programming.
The final weeks of the month will center on critical life-safety and operational readiness.
Contractors will undergo final fire alarm, fire sprinkler, and generator testing, alongside the state elevator inspection and necessary owner training sessions. Successfully navigating these final life-safety inspection milestones will position the project to secure a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO), paving the way for City staff to move in for set-up and stocking of equipment and supplies. In addition, there will be period for building system training for staff once TCO has been issued.
Project Schedule Summary
Site Work, Underground Utilities and Grading January 2025 – October 2025 Foundation and Structural Framing January 2025 - August 2025 Building Exterior Framing and Envelope September 2025 - December 2025 Interior Framing & Mechanical, Electrical, and
Plumbing
September 2025 – April 2026
Interior Finishes and Closeout April 2026 – July 2026
Project Completion August 2026
Currently, there are some delays in the schedule, but the contractor anticipates project completion in August. The City will monitor this closely and have follow-up meetings
with BHM to discuss mitigation methods and possible challenges. Continued delays could occur if interior finishes, MEP trim, inspections, startup, commissioning, and turnover activities do not advance in a coordinated sequence. Any delays within the final stages have the potential to push out the final inspections and occupancy certification, which would lead to a later completion date. In addition, staff have been working with the contractor on identifying a potential grand opening day event which may occur in September.
CEQA
In July 2023, the City of Foster City, in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the State CEQA Guidelines adopted by the Secretary of Resources, and the City of Foster City Environmental Review Guidelines, prepared an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH # 20231009) with Standards Conditions and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (SCAMMRP), and CEQA Findings (IS/MND) for the Recreation Center Rebuild Project.
On November 16, 2023, the City Planning Commission adopted the IS/MND and approved the Use Permit for the Project. Pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21166 and CEQA Guidelines section 15164(b), the City prepared an Addendum to the adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration for the temporary Modular Buildings portion of the work.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this update. Any fiscal impacts to the Project will be presented to the City Council as a separate agenda item with a recommended action. The construction budget can be seen on the attached Construction Manger’s Report.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Facilities and Infrastructure
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 - Monthly Construction Manager's Report May 2026 Attachment 2 - Monthly Construction Manager's Report June 2026 Attachment 3 - Contract Change Order Summary Sheet