City Council
June 07, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
AGENDA REPORT
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution 1) Accepting A Gift Of In- Kind Services From Project Backboard For Lowell Park Outdoor Basketball Court Resurfacing Valued In An Amount Not To Exceed One Hundred Thirty-Two Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars ($132,700) And 2) Authorizing The City Administrator To Execute A Contract In The Amount Of One Dollar ($1.00) With Project Backboard and DRYCO, Inc., The Construction Vendor Selected To Perform The Services, To Authorize The Work On City Property.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Project Backboard, a nonprofit organization wishes to provide a gift of in-kind services to the City for resurfacing two outdoor basketball courts at Lowell Park (West Oakland).
The project involves up to one hundred thirty-two thousand seven hundred dollars ($132,700) of in-kind services to revitalize two underutilized outdoor basketball courts at Lowell Park including repairing, resurfacing with new acrylic surface, and painting of court artwork and new basketball standard game lines.
Approval of the proposed resolution will allow selected vendor to resurface Lowell Park outdoor basketball courts and Project Backboard to paint the court with an artwork designed by the selected local artist. The proposed project will provide refreshed and vibrant basketball courts for the historically underserved community of West Oakland.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Lowell Park is located 1180 14th Street, Council District 3, and is considered a sports hub that includes a baseball field, softball field, soccer field, basketball courts and National Fitness Campaign fitness court. Basketball is a sport that draws individuals in the community to the park. The surface of the two existing full-courts has aged over time. The project will improve the TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Dana Riley
City Administrator I nterim Director,
OPRYD
DATE: May 09, 2022
SUBJECT: Lowell Park Basketball Court
Resurfacing Gift
City Administrator Approval Date: May 26, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lowell Park Basketball Court Resurfacing Gift
Date: May 09, 2022 Page 2
City Council
June 07, 2022
playing surface and brighten the courts with color and new basketball standard game lines. The existing posts and backboards will be refreshed as needed and new nets will be installed following the construction. The resurfacing project will complete deferred maintenance of Lowell Park basketball courts.
The PRAC reviewed, provided comment and recommended the project at the September 8, 2021 meeting. The City of Oakland Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) reviewed, provided comments, and unanimously approved the artist’s court design at the May 2, 2022 PAAC meeting.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Project Backboard is a nonprofit whose vision is to inspire the community with performance solutions. Project Backboard provides support to communities to renovate public basketball courts and install large scale works of art on surfaces in order to strengthen communities, improve park safety, encourage multi-generational play, and inspire people to think more critically and creatively about their environment. This project is part of their commitment to create spaces and invest in people to make participation in sport and recreation possible.
DRYCO Inc., the construction vendor selected by Project Backboard for their prior partnership and court resurfacing contracts in Oakland, will be contracted to perform the construction components of the project. DRYCO Inc. shall provide insurance and bonds as required by law, and the contract shall be approved for form and legality by the Office of the City Attorney.
Following authorization, the project is expected to begin construction in late spring of 2022 and conclude in the summer. Project Backboard is committed to a process that is inclusive and that allows for community input on this project.
Project Backboard has identified local artist Adia Millett to design the court graphic. Adia Millett, known in the art world as “Taking things apart”, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Oakland.
Examples of Adia’s work (Attachment A) can be found around Oakland and Los Angeles and at www.adiamillett.com.
Staff wishes to leverage as much public and private resources as feasible to improve city parks and neighborhoods. Project Backboard worked with Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) staff to evaluate court conditions in Oakland. Lowell Park basketball courts were chosen by Project Backboard because of their condition and the value the project will provide to the local West Oakland community. The need for resurfacing of courts across the city exceeds available funding, and the private donation activates spaces that would otherwise be underutilized.
Project Backboard is funding the proposed resurfacing project in the amount not to exceed $132,700. The project construction scope includes:
• Asphalt
o 4" Mill and Overlay: Grind and remove existing pavement surface to a depth of 2". Apply SS-1 tack oil to surface. Apply pavement stabilization fabric to mitigate crack damage. Place and compact 2" of new hot-mix asphalt paving in one separate lift.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lowell Park Basketball Court Resurfacing Gift
Date: May 09, 2022 Page 3
City Council
June 07, 2022
• Resurfacing
o Flood courts to identify low spots. Apply (2) coats of acrylic resurface then apply o two filler/base coats of full color acrylic mixed with sand to achieve the desired texture. Court will have a grey base coat for layout of artist design. Following application of artist design, apply new basketball standard game lines. • Artist color coating
o 2 coats of sport specific color coating applied according to the Artist’s design.
In summary, the work on the court will consist of surface preparation including crack filling and leveling, application of a new acrylic surface, and painting new game lines for basketball use.
The resurfacing along with colorful artwork will enhance the court and is expected to increase positive use of the area by creating a community focal point. Survey of the community on the impact of the proposed project resulted with the following:
• 100% say that basketball programming will increase
• 97% say that people in the community will be more active • 91% say that the basketball serves as a community gathering place • 78% say that the community will feel safer
• User demographics
o 24.7% African-American
o 27% Caucasian
o 26% Hispanic
o 16% Asian
o 1.3% Other
The culturally relevant and unique court artwork will increase vibrancy of the outdoor basketball courts. The repair will address deferred maintenance issues and increase the quality of the public park facility. The resurfaced basketball court will allow for increased programming, free to participants, that is proven to help kids and adults establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills, instill fair-play ethics and increase family engagement. OPRYD will partner with the surrounding schools in the area to showcase the new resurfacing court. Furthermore, the benefits of proposed project will increase participation and ownership, which will enhance community safety at the park and surrounding community.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will execute one dollar ($1.00) construction contracts with Project Backboard and vendor to be selected by Project Backboard to perform the construction work. The vendors shall provide insurance and bonds as required by law, and the contract shall be approved for form and legality by the Office of the City Attorney. Through the gift-in-place contract, Project Backboard shall assume responsibility for compensation to DRYCO Inc. and the Artist, for this project.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Public engagement with the local community, youth, and community-based sports organizations, a survey of nearby schools and facilities, and with assistance from City Councilmember Fife the courts at Lowell Park were determined suitable for renovation, Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lowell Park Basketball Court Resurfacing Gift
Date: May 09, 2022 Page 4
City Council
June 07, 2022
resurfacing, and artist imagery in support of healthy recreational opportunities in the West Oakland community. It was identified that the Lowell basketball courts received very little use, presumably in part due to their poor condition, and any improvements would positively impact use.
Staff coordinated the community engagement in Fall of 2021 which was an open online forum for Adia to introduce herself and her practice and collect feedback from the Lowell Park community, including members of Oakland City Council. The approved design was created with that feedback in mind and it features basketball imagery, shapes inspired by traditional African masks and colors that Adia felt would connect with the community of park users while creating a bright and inviting space for the Lowell Park community to be active together. The final court artwork pays homage to the history on that community while also looking forward to current users and coming generations. The statement of design is as followed: Taking Flight, this piece is inspired by the idea of communal levitation, lifting each other up, like a child lifts a kite, paper airplane, or a basketball. Traces of those objects, and an ancestral mask lay across the court surface. The colors and shapes were chosen to evoke expansion, joy and strength. The final proposed design by Artist Adia Millett is shown in Attachment A.
COORDINATION
This project is coordinated with Councilmember Fife, Oakland Public Works Department, and the Contracts and Compliance Division of the City Administrator’s Office. This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Controller’s Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: There are no economic opportunities associated with this report. As analyzed and recorded in the 2001 Journal of Leisure Research Vol. 33, citing a 10 percent to 20 percent increase in property values within a two to three block radius of well-maintained parks and open space. The project will add community and personal value to one of the City’s most vulnerable communities.
Environmental: The project requires the contractor to recycle and re-use construction materials to the extent practical and comply with City standards.
Race & Equity: The project will improve healthy outdoor recreational opportunities and quality of life for the local community with free access to updated and renovated courts. With 71 percent of today’s youth not receiving the amount of physical activity recommended by the Center for Disease Control, activating the underused space through local design and renovating court surface will serve as a positive outlet and encouragement for increased activity.
Lowell Park and its surrounding community is located in Oakland’s highest priority index based on seven demographic factors of: People of Color, Low-Income Households, People with Disability, Seniors 65 Years and Over, Single Parent Families, Severely Rent-Burdened, and Low Educational Attainment. Furthermore, the park is in a census tract classified as low income with ongoing gentrification and/or displacement according to the Urban Displacement Project and the highest level of pollution burden from CalEnviroScreen. The court resurfacing and art installation of the proposed project will deliver relevant and equitable recreational programs and Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Lowell Park Basketball Court Resurfacing Gift
Date: May 09, 2022 Page 5
City Council
June 07, 2022
services to the underserved and vulnerable community of West Oakland. The proposed project will encourage an active and healthy lifestyle by removing the barriers to equitable outdoor recreation.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution 1) Accepting a gift of in-kind services from Project Backboard for Lowell Park outdoor basketball court resurfacing valued in an amount not to exceed one hundred thirty-two thousand seven hundred dollars ($132,700) and 2) Authorizing the city administrator to execute a contract in the amount of one dollar ($1.00) with Project Backboard and DRYCO, Inc., the construction vendor selected to perform the services, to authorize the work on City property.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Hank Phan, Assistant Capital Improvement Project Coordinator at (510) 238-6109.
Respectfully submitted,
Dana Riley
Interim Director, Parks, Recreation & Youth
Development Department
Reviewed by:
Dana Riley, Assistant Director
Prepared by:
Hank Phan, Assistant Capital Improvement
Project Coordinator
Attachments (1):
A: Local Artist, Adia Millett Court Artwork Design
Attachment A:
Local Artist, Adia Millett Court Artwork Design
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