July 7, 2026
Community Development
DATE: July 7, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Subject: Contract Amendment No. 4 with CSW/ST2 for
Interpretive Program Landscape Architectural Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funds for the creek monitoring and rehabilitation of the historic structures at Miraflores are appropriated within the Successor Agency budget (Account String:
61322063-400708-07F63). The Rotary Club of Richmond
awarded a $50,000 grant towards the Interpretative
Signage component of the Miraflores Project in honor of the Rotary’s centennial celebration. These funds when
appropriated will be used to cover costs related to the signage.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
September 19, 2023
February 6, 2024
December 17, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond is continuing implementation of the long-term vision for the Miraflores Project, which included an affordable senior housing development, affordable
and market-rate for-sale project, rehabilitation of certain historic structures, daylighting of Baxter Creek within a new city park, and interpretative signage sharing the
stories of the Japanese American families that once
occupied the site and their experience during and post- World War II. City staff are seeking City Council approval of an amendment no. 4 to the contract with CSW/ST2 for
additional services necessary to ensure regulatory
compliance, preserve historic resources, and support the successful continuation of the project. In addition, a
$50,000 grant from Rotary Club of Richmond was
AGENDA
REPORT
July 7, 2026
awarded in 2019 to the Interpretative Signage component of the Miraflores Project in honor of the Rotary’s
centennial celebration. However, documentation
accepting and appropriating the grant funds has not been located to expend the funds.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a fourth contract amendment with CSW/ST2,
increasing the contract amount by $266,514, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $637,941.50, to provide
additional landscape architectural services for the
interpretive program, rehabilitation of historic structures, and interpretive signage component of the Miraflores
Project, for a term ending June 30, 2028, and ACCEPT
and APPROPRIATE a $50,000 grant received from the
Rotary Club of Richmond in 2019 to support the
interpretive signage component of the Miraflores Project – Community Development (Lina Velasco 510-620-
6841).
DISCUSSION:
The City, on behalf of the Successor Agency, is continuing to implement the long-term vision for the Miraflores Project, which included an affordable senior housing development, affordable and market-rate for-sale project, rehabilitation of certain historic structures, daylighting of Baxter Creek within a new city park, and interpretative signage sharing the stories of the Japanese American families that once occupied the site and their experience during and post-World War II. Given the years that have lapsed between project components and phases, including delays created by the foreclosure action against the for-sale housing developer of the site, implementation and project completion continues to be challenging, requiring significantly more design and coordination effort than originally anticipated. While progress is being made, additional services are needed to continue with the project’s completion.
The key additional services requested include:
Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Interpretive Project Redesign. The building permit comments received were greater than anticipated and required some redesign that was not anticipated. Permits have now been obtained, and construction of the interpretative signage is on-going. Signs are anticipated to be installed by August.
Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Grant Payment Coordination. CSW/ST2 coordinated closely with the National Park Service Program Coordinator regarding the JACS grants funding to ensure that all reporting and grant requirements were complete for the City of Richmond to receive payment and complete its obligations under the grant.
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Historic Structure Post-Fire Evaluation & Documentation. The historic structures have at different times been vandalized and broken into despite the buildings and structures being boarded up. The Sakai house has suffered two separate fires. Following the first fire in May, the City requested the architect team document the structure condition included exterior 3D laser scanning and drone imagery of the four existing structures. After the second fire in August 2025, the structural engineer was asked to evaluate and document the post-fire condition of the four historic structures, ultimately determining that the Sakai House had been damaged beyond repair.
Sakai House Site Location Design and Structure Reconstruction. The historic Sakai House was to be moved to a new location and rehabilitated in conjunction with the other three buildings per the existing contract scope. Due to extensive fire damage, the building cannot be repaired. Since the building cannot be rehabilitated, the scope to prepare new construction documents for a new building based on the historic Sakai House and the new site's design. The scope is being modified to develop 100 percent of the construction documents and specifications based on the existing historic documentation and previously developed plans. The 100 percent plans will be submitted for permit review. The City will be responsible for addressing permit fees. The team will then prepare the Bid Set, including Plan Check comments, and provide bidding and construction administration support.
Baxter Creek Daylighting Project Annual Post-Project Monitoring. The 401 Water Quality Certification for the Miraflores – Sustainable Community Greenbelt – Baxter Creek Daylighting Project (CIWQS Place ID: 804706) requires 10 years of post-project monitoring. The current contract scope includes Years 5, 7, 9 &
10. The is being modified to state is covers Years 5, 6, 7, & 8, which fall within the duration of the proposed contract amendment term.
Rotary Centennial Grant
In 2019, a $50,000 grant from Rotary Club of Richmond was awarded to the Successor Agency for the interpretative signage component of the Miraflores Project in honor of the Rotary’s centennial celebration. City staff were unable to locate documentation that the grant funds were appropriated. City staff did locate a City Council item by Public Works dated June 28, 2022, in which a temporary plaque was placed at Shimada Friendship Park to be installed permanently later at the Miraflores Sustainable greenbelt in acknowledgement of the Rotary grant accepted by the City. City staff is seeking City Council approval to appropriate the grant funds to cover any related costs for the Interpretative signage.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The preservation of the ensemble of structures at Miraflores supports various General Plan 2030 Historic Resources Element policies that call for the preservation of a diverse
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range of historic resources and the adaptive reuse of such resources. The project specifically supports the following:
Policy HR1.1 Preservation of Diverse Resources
Protect, preserve, and enhance the diverse range of historic, cultural, and archaeological sites and resources in the city for the benefit of current and future residents and visitors.
Policy HR1.2 Adaptive Reuse of Resources
Promote adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and retrofitting of historic buildings that are no longer in their original use and explore approaches to integrate preservation with economic revitalization objectives.
CONCLUSION:
City staff is seeking City Council approval of amendment no. 4 to the contract with CSW/ST2 for additional services necessary to ensure regulatory compliance, preserve historic resources, and support the successful completion of the project and to appropriate a $50,000 grant received from the Rotary Club of Richmond awarded in 2019 for the Interpretative Signage component of the Miraflores Project.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – CSW Amendment No. 4
Attachment 2 – Executed CSW Contract and Amendments No. 1 - 3 Attachment 3 – Rotary Grant Letter