May 26, 2026
Port of Richmond
Economic Development
DATE: May 26, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM: Charles Gerard, Port Director
Subject:
Contract Amendment No. 5 with Wiss, Janney, Elstner
Associates, Inc. for Architectural and Structural Consulting Services at Winehaven and Shipyard No. 3
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The proposed $62,280 expenditure is included within the approved fiscal year 2025-2026 Port Enterprise Fund
budget. There is no impact to the General Fund (Account String: 40161080-400201).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
May 16,2023
October 3, 2023
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Port of Richmond has identified fractured trusses,
compromised beams, and related structural concerns at
the Riggers Loft Building, a historic structure within
Shipyard No. 3, requiring prompt professional evaluation.
The Port is requesting City Council approval of a fifth amendment to the existing agreement with Wiss, Janney,
Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) to fund this additional
structural assessment and consulting work.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT a resolution to APPROVE fifth contract amendment with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
(WJE) for architectural and structural consulting services for buildings at Winehaven and Shipyard No. 3,
increasing the payment limit by $62,280, total payment
limit of $822,280, and extending the contract term to
December 31, 2027 – Port of Richmond (Charles Gerard
510-620-6792).
AGENDA
REPORT
May 26, 2026
DISCUSSION:
Background
On May 16, 2023, the City Council approved a sole source agreement with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) in an amount not to exceed $247,000 for historic resource evaluations, architectural review, and related consulting services for the Winehaven Historic District and the Shipyard No. 3 Historic District (Attachment 1). On October 3, 2023, the City Council approved a first amendment increasing the contract by $513,000 to a total of $760,000 to support expanded architectural and engineering consulting services (Attachment 2). Three subsequent amendments were administratively executed to extend the contract term, most recently through December 31, 2026 (Attachments 3,4, and 5). During this period, WJE performed ongoing assessment and consulting services for historic structures within both districts, including the Cafeteria Building at Shipyard No. 3.
The Riggers Loft Building is a significant historic structure located within the Shipyard No. 3 Historic District in Richmond. The building features original 1940s wood roof trusses that have long presented structural complexity due to their age and historic character. During a prior rehabilitation of the building in 2012, it was determined that the vertical load capacity of the existing wood roof trusses fell below current code requirements. Because fully strengthening those trusses to code would have caused significant impact to the building's historic fabric, a reduced roof live load was adopted along with a requirement for close monitoring and control of roof weights going forward.
WJE's Qualifications
WJE is a national structural and architectural engineering firm with extensive familiarity with the Riggers Loft Building and the broader Shipyard No. 3 Historic District. WJE has been engaged by the City on multiple prior contracts related to these historic facilities.
Under Contract No. 1037, approved by the City Council on October 20, 2009, WJE completed the Historic Structures Report and Schematic Design for Rehabilitation of the Riggers Loft Building. Under Contract No. 1041, WJE completed the Historic Structures Report for the Richmond Shipyard No. 3 Historic District. WJE subsequently led the 2012 rehabilitation of the Riggers Loft Building, including structural repair details for the wood roof trusses and seismic strengthening, under a contract approved by the City Council on March 1, 2011. Notably, the same WJE engineering team that performed the prior rehabilitation and structural work on the Riggers Loft Building is engaged on the current scope of services, providing direct continuity of expertise and familiarity with the building's conditions and prior repair approach. The City has continued to retain WJE for architectural and structural consulting services across both the Winehaven Historic District and Shipyard No. 3 since February 2023. WJE's longstanding involvement gives the firm unique knowledge of the building's structural systems, historic constraints, prior repair details, and original recommendations.
Discovery of Structural Damage
In early March 2026, Port of Richmond staff identified fractured trusses, compromised beams, and related structural concerns at the Riggers Loft Building. WJE performed a
May 26, 2026
site visit on March 6, 2026, to review conditions, at which point additional damaged trusses were also identified. Given the structural safety implications and the building's known load limitations, prompt action was necessary to evaluate the full extent of the damage and determine appropriate next steps.
Following the initial assessment, WJE and Port staff developed a full scope of services to address the truss damage through design and construction. The proposed scope, as detailed in WJE’s proposal, includes four work areas: (1) structural assessment and temporary shoring recommendations; (2) preparation of construction documents for permanent repair of the identified damaged trusses; (3) development of unit prices for construction to address any additional damage or unforeseen conditions that may be uncovered during repair work; and (4) construction phase services including bid support, contractor coordination, submittal and request for information (RFI) review, site observation visits, and close-up assessment of a minimum of five additional roof trusses to inform any further repair needs.
The base proposal amount from WJE is $51,900. Due to the age and historic nature of the Riggers Loft Building, and the potential for concealed deterioration or unforeseen structural conditions commonly encountered in historic industrial facilities within Shipyard No. 3, City staff recommend inclusion of a contingency allowance of $10,380 (20% of the base proposal). Use of contingency funds shall be limited to unforeseen conditions directly related to the project scope and shall require prior written approval of the Port Director.
The total fifth amendment amount is $62,280, increasing the total contract amount from $760,000 to $822,280. City staff further recommend extending the contract term through December 31, 2027, to allow sufficient time for completion of design, bidding, construction support, and any follow-up structural services necessitated by field conditions.
Recommendation and Next Steps
City staff recommend adoption of the resolution authorizing the fifth amendment with WJE (Attachments 6,7, and 8). This amendment ensures continuity of professional consulting services, addresses urgent structural safety concerns at the Riggers Loft Building, and supports the long-term preservation of a significant historic asset within Shipyard No. 3.
Following City Council approval, Port staff will work to execute the fifth amendment with WJE. Structural assessment work will commence promptly and findings will inform future stabilization or rehabilitation efforts at the Riggers Loft Building. The findings from WJE will be used to develop a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit a qualified vendor to complete the recommended work.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original Executed Contract
May 26, 2026
Attachment 2 – Executed First Contract Amendment
Attachment 3 – Executed Second Contract Amendment
Attachment 4 – Executed Third Contract Amendment
Attachment 5 – Executed Fourth Contract Amendment
Attachment 6 – Sole Source
Attachment 7 – Fifth Contract Amendment
Attachment 8 – Resolution