Fremont City Council Meeting: 02/11/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Presentations
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5352) DOC ID: 5352 A
Updated: 2/5/2025 4:02 PM by Dina Lewis A Page 1
CENTRAL PARK COMMUNITY CENTER - Receive Presentation on Project Status for the Central Park Community Center Project (PWC9087); Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Kitchell CEM, Inc. in an Initial Amount Not to Exceed $1,437,500 (Including 15% Contingency) for Construction Management Services; Reallocation of Funds for Public Art; and Find that No Further Environmental Review is Required Pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183 (Projects Consistent with a Community Plan, General Plan, or Zoning).
Contact Persons:
Name: Hans Larsen Kim Beranek
Title: Public Works Director Community Services Director Div/Dept: Public Works Community Services
Phone: 510-494-4722 510-494-4330
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate continued progress in the development of the Central Park Community Center Project. It is recommended that the City Council approve project actions related to hiring a construction management firm, supporting public art funding and development, and confirming environmental clearance.
Exhibit A provides documentation of the environmental clearance. Exhibit B provides images of the project design concept and phasing plan.
BACKGROUND: In March 2022, the City Council adopted a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan. A high priority identified, based on extensive public outreach, was the need to modernize and expand facilities for recreation and community activities citywide. A specific priority was to provide City residents with a new, state of the art community center in Central Park. With support from a State of California grant, planning for the Central Park Community Center (CPCC) project began in Summer 2022. The concept for the CPCC project included constructing a signature community center building with views of Lake Elizabeth, Mission Peak and the surrounding hills. The proposed project is located adjacent to the Fremont Main Library, at the corner of Stevenson Boulevard and Paseo Padre Parkway. To date, identified funding for the project totals $35.5 million from the following sources: City General Fund ($21 million), City Parks Fund ($5 million), State grants ($9 million), and Federal grant ($0.5 million).
On July 18, 2023, the City Council approved a professional services agreement with Group 4 Architecture Research + Planning (Group 4) to complete the project planning, community outreach, environmental clearance, and final design phases of the project. The planning and community outreach activities are complete.
On July 9, 2024, the City Council accepted the design concept and a multiphase implementation plan for the CPCC, and approved an initial construction phase, based on secured funding of the estimated Phase 1 cost of $33 million. Final design is underway for Phase 1 of the project (new Community Center; funded) and Phase 2 (Event Hall; partially Council Staff Report (ID # 5352) Meeting of February 11, 2025 Updated: 2/5/2025 4:02 PM by Dina Lewis A Page 2
funded). Efforts to seek additional funding for the Phase 2 project are being pursued through grants and private contributions.
The scope of the Phase 1 improvements for the CPCC, with an estimated cost of $33 million, includes construction of a new 11,800 square foot Community Center and Outdoor Living Room. The Community Center building will include a flexible fitness and dance room; program rooms for arts, crafts, enrichment and STEM learning; exterior patios for expanding programs to outdoors; and a community meeting room. Site work will include demolition of the Teen Center, grading, site utility services (power, water, and sewer), and upgrading the existing Teen Center parking lot from 125 to 225 spaces with a new access to Paseo Padre Parkway. The Outdoor Living Room will include patios, furnishings, and shade features to create additional outside social and relaxation spaces. Food, beverage and snack services for the Community Center lobby and Outdoor Living Room will be accommodated with provisions for a mobile coffee/snack cart and food trucks with electrical power hook - ups.
The proposed Phase 2 project scope has an estimated cost of $14 million and an available funding source of $2.5 million (leaving an $11.5 million shortfall, based on 2025 construction costs). The scope of the Phase 2 improvements for the CPCC expands the Community Center by 9,400 square feet and includes an Event Hall with a commercial kitchen and an Event Terrace. The Event Hall will support an indoor seated table capacity for 400 people and the outdoor Event Terrace will allow for added table-seating capacity of 200 people, with an adjoining ceremonial lawn area.
It is noted that the current construction market for new building projects is favorable and could result in lower project costs than are currently estimated. Staff is actively exploring potential opportunities for both Phase 1 and Phase 2 to be constructed together to allow for additional “economies of scale” benefits. The project is currently scheduled to be advertised for construction bids in November 2025 and with the proposed award of a construction contract in early 2026. The anticipated construction duration is approximately 18 months, with a proposed building opening in 2027.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Construction Management Services
The final design of Phase 1 and Phase 2 is underway and anticipated to be complete in Fall of 2025. Prior to completion of final design and initiation of the construction phase, staff recommends engaging a construction management (CM) firm to establish processes and procedures for administering the construction program, to assist the City in pre-bid and pre- award processes, and to provide a secondary constructability review and cost estimate of the project to improve the accuracy of construction documents, thereby reducing change orders during construction. During the construction phase, the CM firm will provide comprehensive construction administration, management, and inspection services and provide documentation in conformance with state and federal funding requirements. The CM firm will also assist the City in analyzing the feasibility of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Building and Trades Council of Alameda County for construction of the CPCC project. In September 2020, the City Council directed staff to evaluate the potential use of a PLA, and associated trade-offs, on a future City building project. This analysis is proposed for further review and direction by Council in mid-2025.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5352) Meeting of February 11, 2025 Updated: 2/5/2025 4:02 PM by Dina Lewis A Page 3
On October 23, 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for CM services for the Central Park Community Center Project. Eleven proposals were received on November 21, 2024, from the following firms, listed alphabetically: 6D CMDM, ARTAIC Group, Concore Development Group, Cumming Group, Gilbane, Griffin Structures, Kitchell CEM, Kleinfelder CS, mack5, MNS Engineers, and Wilsey Hamm. The proposals were evaluated by a selection panel comprised of the project’s architectural design staff (Group 4) and City staff based on criteria that included understanding of the work to be performed, past experience on similar projects, previous work within Fremont, staff experience and knowledge, and completeness of response. Interviews were conducted on January 8, 2025, with four firms: Cumming Group, Griffin Structures, Kitchell CEM, and mack5. The consultant team led by Kitchell CEM was selected as the top-ranked firm based on their proposal, interview presentation and responses to panel questions.
An Agreement with Kitchell CEM has been prepared and includes construction management services for the Phase 1, Community Center and Outdoor Living Room project, as well as expert advice and research for considering a Project Labor Agreement. The cost of the construction management agreement is discussed in the Fiscal Impacts section of this report. If funding is secured for the Phase 2, Event Hall and Event Terrace, portion of the project, the proposed Agreement will need to be amended to address the expanded scope of construction management services.
Public Art
In 2016, the City Council adopted the Art in Public Places Program Policy (Policy) whose mission is “to promote community access to art, integrate it into daily life and create community interest that will enrich the economic vitality and cultural vibrancy of the City, creating a unique identity for Fremont, and to promote the arts in Fremont.” The Policy gives guidance and provides procedures for funding, selecting, and locating public artwork within the City. The Policy requires that one percent (1%) of funds from the Engineer’s estimated construction cost of public building and park projects be used for public art. On December 18, 2024, the Art Review Board recommended a Call for Artists for new public art at the proposed community center complex. Selection of artists is anticipated by April 2025, which will allow for design integration during project construction documentation.
Since Phase 1 is estimated to cost $33 million and Phase 2 is estimated to cost $14 million, the required allocation for artwork is $330,000 and $140,000 respectively, for a total of $470,000 for the public art budget. The artwork will be selected by the Art Review Board in a two-stage process, with recommendations to the Recreation Commission. The Recreation Commission will then make final recommendations on the artwork to City Council at a future date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Construction Management Services
The consultant fee for the construction management of the Phase 1 CPCC Project is $1,250,000 with an additional $187,500 (15%) of contingency for a total fee amount of $1,437,500. There are sufficient funds in the adopted capital budget to award the construction management consultant contract for Phase 1 of the CPCC (PWC9087). It is noted that staff has negotiated the Scope of Work and Fee for Phase 2 of the CPCC project in the amount of $460,000 and will return to Council for authorization to contract for these services once additional funding has been secured to construct the Phase 2 project.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5352) Meeting of February 11, 2025 Updated: 2/5/2025 4:02 PM by Dina Lewis A Page 4
Public Art
The recommended art budget for the CPCC Project is $330,000 for Phase 1 and $140,000 for Phase 2, for a total of $470,000. These designated amounts are already included in the total project budget and staff recommends that those funds be reallocated to the Public Art Project (PWC8686).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15183, projects that are consistent with the development intensity established by existing zoning, specific plan or general plan policies for which an EIR was certified do not require additional environmental review, except as might be necessary to examine whether there are project-specific significant effects which are peculiar to the project or its site. This provides a streamlined review of such projects and reduces the need to prepare repetitive environmental studies.
An Environmental Compliance Checklist (Exhibit “A”) has been prepared for the proposed project which demonstrates that the project qualifies for review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15183 and does not need additional environmental review since the General Plan EIR (State Clearinghouse No. 2010082060) adequately addressed the project’s potential environmental effects. There are no significant impacts peculiar to the project or the site, nor any cumulative nor offsite impacts, nor substantially more severe impacts, which were not analyzed in the General Plan EIR that would require further environmental analysis under Section 15183.
In addition, as a separate and independent basis, this action is exempt from CEQA review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b), as the fund appropriations constitute fiscal activity which do not involve committing funds to a specific project which may result in potentially significant physical impact on the environment beyond those analyzed in the aforementioned EIR.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Exhibit A - CEQA Checklist for New Community Center at Fremont Central Park • Exhibit B - Project Design Concept and Phasing Plan
RECOMMENDATIONS: Receive presentation on project status for the Central Park Community Center Project (PWC9087) and approve the following actions:
1. Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Kitchell CEM, Inc., in an amount not-to-exceed $1,437,500 for construction management services.
2. Reallocate up to $470,000, or 1% of the final Engineer’s estimate of the construction cost of the Central Park Community Center, from the Central Park Community Center funds (PWC9087) to Public Art (PWC8686).
3. Find based on the evidence in the record as a whole and exercising its independent judgment, that (1) no further environmental review is required pursuant to Section 15183 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines as the project would not result in new or substantially more severe significant environmental effects than what was analyzed in the General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 2010082060) previously prepared and certified, as analyzed in the Environmental Compliance Checklist shown in Exhibit “A” and/or (2) is exempt from CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b), as the fund appropriations constitute fiscal activity Council Staff Report (ID # 5352) Meeting of February 11, 2025 Updated: 2/5/2025 4:02 PM by Dina Lewis A Page 5
which do not involve committing funds to a specific project which may result in potentially significant physical impact on the environment beyond those analyzed in the aforementioned EIR. Each of the foregoing provides a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance with respect to the subject action.