REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
DATE: Regular Meeting of November 12, 2024
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
SUBMITTED BY: Dante Hall, City Manager
SUBJECT: Demolition of Creekside Shopping Center Clock Tower and Direction Regarding Potential New City Signage RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends the City Council:
Receive the report,
Adopt a resolution authorizing demolition of the clock tower at the entrance of the Creekside Shopping Center for an amount not to exceed $9,000, and Provide direction to staff on options for replacing the clock tower.
BACKGROUND:
During the FY 2024-2025 annual budget process, the City Council allocated $100,000 within the Capital Budget and requested a staff recommendation for removing, repairing, or replacing the Creekside Shopping Center Clock Tower structure. The Creekside Clock Tower is located on City-owned land on Sycamore Avenue between the Highway 80 overpass and the entrance to the Creekside Shopping Center. This feature was constructed on City property by the original developer of the center in the mid-1980s. The original tower structure featured a clock face on top and wayfinding signage for businesses located in the shopping center.
Over time, the business signage and clock face (which had not worked for many years) were removed from the structure (Figure 1 – Current State of the Clock Tower). In recent years, the clock tower has been blighted, periodically used by unhoused individuals for shelter, and has become a public safety concern for the community.
Figure 1 - Creekside Clock Tower
For these reasons, staff recommends that the City Council consider the following options:
Option 1 – Take no action.
Option 2 – Refurbish existing structure
Option 3 – Demolish existing structure and do not replace Option 4 – Demolish existing structure and replace with new structure in same location Option 5 – Demolish and construct signage or other specialty structure in another space to be determined ANALYSIS:
OPTION
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
COSTS
1 - Take no action – Leave existing structure in place
Advantages – No Cost
Disadvantages – Continued blighted condition
$0
2 - Refurbish existing structure
Advantages - Cost-effective and quick fix
Disadvantages - Repairs may need to be repeated if the sign continues to deteriorate. $TBD
3 - Demolish existing and do not replace
Advantages – Long-term cost savings; eliminates ongoing maintenance and repair costs; frees up space for other uses, such as for future walkway.
Disadvantages – None identified
$9,000
4 - Demolition existing and replace at same location
Advantages – New signage or other specialty structures are less likely to need repairs for a long time; opportunity for City to update the design Disadvantages - More expensive upfront costs compared to repairs; longer lead time needed for design and construction $9,000 plus $TBD for replacement structure
5 - Demolition existing and replace at different location to be determined Advantages – Same as Option 4
Disadvantages – Same as Option 4
$9,000 plus $TBD for replacement structure at different location Since the existing clock tower has been in a state of disrepair for years and has become a nuisance to the community, staff recommends that it be removed to preserve public health and safety. Should the City Council decide to demolish and replace the existing structure, staff seeks direction on the options identified above. The chart below provides additional details on each choice:
Potential Project Near Clock Tower; Trails-to-Transit and Bay Trail Gap Closure Grant Should the City council desire to demolish the existing clock tower and replace it with another structure at the same location, future improvements planned for the area should be considered. For example, the City of Hercules recently supported Contra Costa Transportation Authority's Multi-Jurisdiction West & Central Contra Costa County All Ages & Abilities Trails-to-Transit and Bay Trail Gap Closure Grant Application. The City of Hercules' portion of that project focuses on closing a gap in an SF Bay Trail Connector Route on Sycamore Avenue that connects San Pablo Avenue to the west of Refugio Valley Road to connect to recent improvements on Sycamore Avenue, Willow Avenue, and the trail network along Refugio Valley Road. The connection will close a gap in the active transportation network to allow residents, workers, and visitors to Hercules to walk, bike, and roll from east to west Hercules, which is currently prevented by the high-stress Sycamore Avenue connection as the only route under Interstate 80 to connect the two sides of the City. This project would connect to the newly installed shared-use path from San Pablo Avenue to John Muir Parkway, with a future phase connecting along John Muir Parkway to complete the gap and connect to Bayfront and the Bay Trail, closing the high-priority connection gap per the MTC SF Bay Trail Implementation Plan. When that final connection is completed, pedestrians and bicyclists can access the SF Bay Trail near Railroad Park via the existing shared-use path network paralleling Sycamore Avenue and using low-stress neighborhood streets. A grant award would allow this transformative project to move forward for the City of Hercules, providing a facility appropriate for a high volume of all ages and abilities as well as pedestrians and bicyclists that wish to access essential destinations, schools, parks, and other recreational opportunities across the City of Hercules and regionally. If the grant is awarded, the funded project would include the current location of the clock tower.
FISCAL IMPACT:
A total of $100,000 has been allocated in the FY 2024-2025 Capital Improvement Projects Budget to remove, repair, or replace the Creekside Shopping Center Clock Tower structure. Out of this amount, $9,000 may be designated for the tower's demolition. As identified above, the remaining $91,000 would remain in the fund to implement Options 2, 4, or 5.
Financial Impact
Description: Demolition of Creekside Shopping Center Clock Tower Funding Source: General Fund (300-5432-642.05-00)
Budget Recap:
Total Estimated cost: $9,000 New Revenue: None
Amount Budgeted: $100,000 Lost Revenue: N/A
New funding required: No New Personnel: N/A
Council Policy Change: Yes No
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Resolution
Attachment 2 - Letter of Support - Hercules SR2TBT_20241009 Attachment 3 – West Central SR2TBT ProjectMap.pdf