PAS-1b^0
^'^^
0•y
* *•
® z
(0 0
^ 0
^^ -0^ 0^ ^rio
Agenda Report
January 23, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Department of Public Works
SUBJECT: CONTRACT AWARD TO GRUEN ASSOCIATES FOR PREPARATION
OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT AND PROFESSIONAL
DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE CENTRAL LIBRARY SEISMIC
RETROFIT AND RENOVATIONS PROJECT FOR AN AMOUNT NOT-
TO-EXCEED$6,104,109
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find the contract proposed herein to be categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines in accordance with Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 5, Section 15061 (b)(3), the General Rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract, as the result of a competitive selection process specified by Section 4.08.047 of the Pasadena Municipal Code, with Gruen Associates for Preparation of the Environmental Document and Professional Design Services for the Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations project for a total amount not-to-exceed $6,104,109 which includes the base contract amount of $5,779,109 and a contingency of $325,000 to provide for any necessary additional services. Competitive bidding is not required pursuant to City Charter Section 1002(F) (contracts for professional or unique services).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
A preliminary seismic evaluation of the building's structural system was completed in April 2021 as a result of the Central Library - Building Systems and Structural Assessment (71910) project. The results indicated that the building does not meet the structural performance objectives recommended by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE 41-17) and is not in compliance with Pasadena Municipal Code, MEETING OF.
J)2/06/2023
_^y^^gS££°-AGENDA ITEM NO.10^
Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
Chapter 14.06. Visual inspection of the building also identified significant cracks along the interior unreinforced masonry (URM) and hollow clay-tile walls. Given such findings, on May 3, 2021, City officials closed the Central Library acting in the best interest of the public and its employees.
A competitive selection process was initiated by the City's Public Works Department in November 2021 to select the best-qualified design team made up of experienced engineers, architects and historic preservation specialists to prepare environmental documents and construction drawings for the seismic retrofit and renovation of the Central Libray, a recognized historic landmark. A Technical Oversight Committee appointed by the Mayor and a Community Programming Committee comprised of community leaders was established to advise the selected design team in development of the optimal and least impactful retrofit scheme, and to enhance the library's services considering current and future needs of the community.
After review of proposals from qualified firms, staff recommends award of a professional services contract to Gruen Associates for an amount not-to-exceed $6,104,109, which includes a base contract amount of $5,779,109 and a contingency of $325,000. Gruen Associates and their qualified team of sub-consultants will handle all aspects of the project including structural engineering, library programming, public outreach, environmental documentation, historic preservation and preparation of final construction drawings and cost estimates for structural retrofit and building systems renovations.
If contract is awarded, environmental and design phase efforts will be initiated in March 2023 and are anticipated to be completed in approximately two years. The schematic design phase will include a detailed seismic analysis and the development of building retrofit design alternatives, including estimated costs. A public outreach effort will also be initiated with the community to provide updates and collect public feedback. Upon advisory review of the retrofit design alternatives by the Technical Oversight Committee, Historic Preservation Commission and the Public Safety Committee, Public Works staff will return to City Council in Fall 2023 with a recommendation to approve a specific retrofit design. Subsequently, environmental documents and construction drawings will be completed per the Council-approved seismic retrofit scheme.
BACKGROUND:
Constructed in 1927, the Pasadena Central Library, designed by Myron hlunt and H.C.
Chambers, was the first building completed in Pasadena's Civic Center Plan. Listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, the original building is comprised of two stories above grade and a basement story below grade and is approximately 120,000 square feet. The building was expanded in the mid-1960s to include a children's story room and two reference wings and a historically sensitive interior restoration was undertaken in the late 1980s. Although several improvements and repairs have been made to the library over the decades, many of the building's existing systems and components are original to the 1927 construction and beyond their useful life.
Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
With Central Library approaching its centennial birthday, an assessment of the building's condition and its various systems was completed in 2020. The goal of the Central Library - Building Systems and Structural Assessment (71910) project was to provide a general assessment of the various building systems including the mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and roof; assess the building's existing structural condition; and design a new fire alarm and fire sprinkler system as a result of previously identified deficiencies. It was during this building assessment that it was revealed that the building is an unreinforced masonry (URM) structure, with URM bearing walls that are not fastened to the building's foundation nor to the reinforced concrete floor beams and timber roof they support. This URM status had not been previously identified in any survey of public buildings in Pasadena and previous improvements to the buildings did not evaluate nor address seismic peri:ormance.
URM buildings have been widely recognized to be a hazard to life safety due to the potential for collapse during a seismic event and must be evaluated and retrofitted, or demolished per Pasadena Municipal Code (PMC) Section 14.06.030 passed in 1993.
As such, a preliminary seismic evaluation of the building's structural system was completed in April 2021 by KPFF Consulting Engineers. The results indicated that the building does not meet the structural performance objectives recommended by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE 41-17) and is not in compliance with PMC Chapter 14.06. Visual inspection of the building also identified significant cracks along the interior URM and hollow clay-tile walls. Given such findings, on May 3, 2021, City officials closed the Central Library acting in the best interest of the public and its employees, and out of concern that a failure of the building in the event of an earthquake could be catastrophic.
Subsequently, the City decided it would be prudent for another firm to verify the findings of the preliminary structural analysis performed by KPFF, and update the structural model utilizing site-specific soils and building material properties. In order to perform an independent evaluation in an efficient and expeditious matter, the City contracted directly with the highest-ranked specialty sub-consultants who proposed and interviewed in response to the City's Environmental and Design Services request for proposals (RFP).
Site-specific geotechnical investigations were performed and a soils report was completed by Geopentech on September 30, 2022. Concurrently, limited sampling of the building materials, including of the exposed URM and reinforced concrete in the Law Room of the Central Library were tested and strength data derived by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE).
Proposals for the independent structural peer review of the KPFF model were solicited from four (4) structural sub-consultants who proposed for the RFP. The selected firm was Nabih Youssef and Associates (NYA), an internationally-recognized structural engineering firm specializing in earthquake engineering of historical buildings. NYA independently analyzed and updated the KPFF structural model based on geotechnical Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
and materials strength test results and updated the preliminary dynamic analysis to derive its own conclusions.
Given their refined preliminary analysis, NYA presented its findings to the City in December 2022, validating KPFF's conclusions regarding the poor performance of the building. The findings show that 90 percent of bearings walls within the building are deficient. The building is heavy with no reinforcement or anything in its construction to absorb seismic energy. Though the material testing area was limited to the Law Room, NYA expects that more extensive testing, to be conducted by the design team, will garner similar results. NYA will be submitting to the City a final report of their findings in late January 2023.
NYA is also contracted with the City to provide independent structural peer review throughout the design phase of the project including in review of retrofit design schemes and final design documents.
Public Works Department has also retained Michael Krakower, structural engineer and owner of Krakower & Associates, as an advisory consultant to City staff and design team based on his historical knowledge of Central Library. Mr. Krakower was with Kariotis & Associates on the Central Library's 1984 installation of the central book stacks.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN SERVICES CONTRACT
Given the urgency to make repairs to the Central Library, a competitive selection process was initiated by the City's Public Works Department to select the best-qualified design team made up of experienced engineers, architects and historic preservation specialists well-versed in seismic retrofitting and renovation of historically significant buildings of similar use. The project scope was established with the goal to extend the life of the building as well as enhance its use to meet the current and future needs of the community.
The selected team would be responsible for the following scope of work:
Finalizing structural analysis and dynamic modeling
Developing building strengthening and retrofit design alternatives for the determination of the optimal and least impactful retrofit scheme Library programming and interior space planning, including accessibility upgrades
Public outreach coordination and collaboration with the community and project stakeholder committees
Prepare project appropriate environmental documents
Preservation and restoration of historic-defining features Deliver 100% complete construction plans, specifications, and cost estimates for the selected retrofit design and the following renovations: mechanical, •
Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety, roofing, accessibility, and courtyard and parking lot improvements.
On November 1, 2021 , the Department of Public Works issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Preparation of Environmental Documents and Professional Design Services for the Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovation project. On November 17,2021, a pre-proposal meeting and tour of the Central Library was conducted by City staff with over 80 professionals in attendance. Eight proposals were received in response to the RFP on December 15, 2021.
Below is a list of responsive proposers:
FIRMCITY
Architectural Resources Group, Inc.
Gruen Associates
Los Angeles
KFA Architecture, LLP
Los Angeles
Pfeiffer - Perkins Eastman
Culver City
Dewberry Architects, Inc.
Los Angeles
Shortlisted
for
Interviews
Pasadena
ONYX Architects, Inc.Pasadena
Richard Yen & Associates
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
San Diego
Los Angeles
Others
Based on the evaluation procedures and qualifications-based criteria specified in the RFP, the eight proposals were scored and ranked by a selection committee comprised of staff from the Public Works Department, Planning & Community Development Department, and Libraries and Information Services Department. The qualifications- based evaluation criteria included: project understanding and approach; experience and qualifications of the project team; proposed project schedule; proposed staffing for the project team; and professional references. Four (4) comprehensive design teams were shortlisted and interviewed by the selection committee on February 24, 2022.
Attachment A contains a summary of the proposals and scoring based on established evaluation criteria.
Gruen Associates (G men) is the top-rated proposer and recommended for award of the contract. The firm is located in Los Angeles and was established in 1946. Gruen is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) with a staff of 75 architects, landscape architects, and planners. With more than 250 awards, Gruen was selected by AIA California as the Firm Award Recipient in 2015. In addition, Gruen's proposed lead project manager served as president of AIA California in 2020.
Gruen has extensive experience in the design and construction of library facility retrofits, including historic structures, as well as managing community engagement. The firm's substantial library experience includes the renovation of the historically significant Brand Library and Central Library for the City of Glendale. Gruen's sub-consultant team includes experts in the following disciplines: structural retrofit of historic structures; Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
historic preservation and design; CEQA for historic structures; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing design; ADA and building code compliance; materials testing; cost estimating; public outreach; building acoustics; and signage. Attachment B lists the sub- consultants that are part of Gruen's comprehensive design team.
It is recommended that the City enter into a contract with Gruen Associates for an amount not-to-exceed $6,104,109 including a $325,000 contingency for design and environmental services. Construction support services of the design team will be recommended for award at the time of construction contract award, in an amount to be determined based on the final design and construction duration.
MAYOR'S TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Mayor Victor Gordo appointed a technical oversight committee to review key findings and recommended design solutions at key design milestones and provide feedback to the project team and updates to City Council. Committee includes professionals and educators with backgrounds in architecture, structural engineering, seismology and historic preservation, representing Pasadena Heritage, Caltech, American Institute of Architects (AIA) and others. The Technical Oversight Committee members and their affiliations are listed under Attachment C.
The Technical Oversight Committee held its kick-off meeting with the Mayor and City staff on November 15, 2022. A second meeting was held on December 14, 2022, where NYA presented its independent peer review findings of the KPFF preliminary structural analysis. The Committee accepted NYA's presented findings in concept and will be reviewing NYA's updated analysis report and data output in February for formal comment.
CITY MANAGER'S COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
Central Library has served as an educational and cultural hub in Pasadena for almost 100 years. A separate Community Programming Committee was established by Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz to evaluate how Central Library space can be reimagined to enhance the library's capacity and services, taking into consideration current and future programming needs of the community. Comprised of community leaders with backgrounds in non-profit organizations, library operations, historic preservation and media, the Programming Committee members and their affiliations are listed under Attachment D.
The Programming Committee began meeting in September 2022. With the support of Library Services staff, the Programming Committee members are developing recommendations on how the Central Library can engage more people in the library experience and serve as a primary community gathering space. Committee activities include: review of current services, programs, usage and needs of Pasadena Public Library patrons and staff; research into current and future trends in library service; ranking and prioritizing programs and services that have the potential to expand usage and are best suited to the needs of the Pasadena community; and recommending the Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
next steps and path forward for Pasadena Public Library to enhance its offerings at the Central Library as a result of the necessary retrofit and restoration work.
NEXT STEPS:
Currently, 3-D scanning of the building is underway by Corbis, Inc. and will be completed by March 2023. Concurrently, hazardous material testing of the building will be performed by Alta Vista (an NV5 Company). NYA's refined preliminary analysis model, as well as the 3-D scan and all test data collected to date will be made available for utilization by the design team to complete their scope of work.
Environmental and design phase efforts will be initiated in March 2023 and are anticipated to be completed in approximately two years. The schematic design phase will include a detailed seismic analysis and the development of building retrofit design alternatives, including estimated costs. A public outreach effort will also be initiated with the community to provide updates and collect public feedback at key decision-making design milestones. Upon advisory review by the Technical Oversight Committee, Historic Preservation Commission and the Public Safety Committee of the retrofit design alternatives, Public Works staff will return to City Council in Fall 2023 with a recommendation to approve a specific retrofit design. Subsequently, appropriate-level environmental documents and design plans will be completed per the Council-approved seismic retrofit scheme.
Concurrent with design efforts, City will continue to pursue funding opportunities for the construction phase of the project with the goal of securing all funding by the completion of the design phase. Pending appropriation of funds, construction is anticipated to begin by Summer 2025 and last approximately 30 to 36 months.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
This contract is consistent with the City Council's goal to improve, maintain and enhance public facilities and infrastructure in order to promote quality of life and local economy; ensure continued operation; and support institutions that serve the needs of Pasadena's diverse residents and families.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This contract has been determined to be categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines in accordance with Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 5, Section 15061(b)(3), the General Rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This contract would retain a consultant for professional services only. The specific design and subsequent improvements to Central Library will be subject to appropriate project- level environmental review at the time each is brought forward for first discretionary action.
Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total cost of this contract including contingency is $6,104,109 and the total cost of this action will be $9,000,000. Funding for this action will be addressed by the utilization of budgeted appropriations in the Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations (71922) project and recommended additional appropriations under separate item for City Council approval on January 23, 2023 under Amendments to FY 2023 Capital Improvement Program Budget. It is anticipated that all costs will be expended through FY 2025.
Staff will continue to pursue grant opportunities through various State and federal sources to fund the construction phase of the project. Construction cost estimates will be developed and refined during the design phase of the project upon evaluation and approval of a seismic retrofit scheme.
In addition to the Gruen contract, supplemental contracts and project administration costs of $2,895,891 include the following City-led efforts through the design phase of the project: geotechnical site investigations; building materials testing; 3-D building scanning and modeling; hazardous materials testing; third-party structural peer and constructability reviews; dedicated Project Manager and City staff time from various City departments; building plan check; and permit fees.
Contract Award for Central Library Seismic Retrofit and Renovations Project January 23, 2023
The following table represents a project summary.
|Environmental & Design Contract
[Contract Contingency
|Supplemental Contracts & Project Administration
$ 5,779,1091
$ 325,00^
$ 2,895,8911
[Total Fiscal Impact$ 9,000,000|
Respectfully submitted,
T(5NY OLMC5S, P.E.
Director of Public Works
Prepared by:
Kris Markarian, P.E.
Deputy Director/City Engineer
Approved by:
^.^ ^4—
MIGUEL MARQUEZ
City Manager
Attachment A - Consultant Scoring and Ranking
Attachment B - List of Gruen Associates Design Team Members Attachment C - List of Technical Oversight Committee Members Attachment D - List of Library Programming Committee Members