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City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: JULY 16, 2024 FROM: Parks, Recreation and Community WARD: 2
Services DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA STATE GRANT - APPROVE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ELS ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN DESIGN INC. IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,750,000, AND APPROVE A CONTINGENCY OF TEN PERCENT (10%) IN THE AMOUNT OF $175,000 FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,925,000 FOR THE CESAR CHAVEZ COMMUNITY CENTER RENOVATION – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 2331 ISSUES:
Approve a Professional Services Agreement with ELS Architectural and Urban Design Inc. from Los Angeles, California, for architectural design services in the amount of $1,750,000 and approve a contingency of ten percent (10%) in the amount of $175,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $1,925,000 for the Cesar Chavez Community Center Renovation located at 2060 University Avenue.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve a Professional Services Agreement with ELS Architectural and Urban Design Inc. from Los Angeles, California, for architectural design services in the amount of $1,750,000 and a contingency of ten percent (10%) in the amount of $175,000 for a total not to exceed amount of $1,925,000 for the Cesar Chavez Community Center Renovation project located at 2060 University Avenue; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Professional Services Agreement including making minor, and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The State of California (“State”) in its Budget Act of 2022, as amended by Assembly Bill 178, allocated $25 million to the City for the substantial renovation of the Cesar Chavez Community Center. The State budget appropriation line item reads as follows:
(46) $25,000,000 to the City of Riverside for the Cesar Chavez Community Center Renovations.
California’s FY 2022/23 budget included $25 million to renovate the Cesar Chavez Community Center inside Bobby Bonds Park. The Spanish colonial-era building, constructed almost 100 years ago, is managed by the City of Riverside Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD) as a park and community center. The University Avenue structure was once University Heights Junior High School and was purchased by the City in 1976 for a neighborhood park serving the Eastside Neighborhood. The Cesar Chavez Community Center currently houses office space for neighborhood non-profit agencies and serves as a community gathering place. It is also utilized by the Riverside Arts Academy (RAA), which has been offering low-cost arts programs and music education to youth for nearly a decade. The facility is a valuable historical asset, and the goal is to revitalize it. Funding for this renovation project was strongly supported by former Assembly Member Jose Medina along with Assembly Member Sabrina Cervantes, and RAA.
On April 4, 2023, the City Council approved an appropriation of $25,000,000 from the State of California and grant agreement with the California Natural Resources Agency to fund the substantial renovation of the Cesar Chavez Community Center at Bobby Bonds Park.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2331 was posted on the City’s online bidding system, Planet Bids, on October 13, 2023, seeking prospective bidders to provide architectural design services to renovate the Cesar E. Chavez Community Center. The notification was sent to 463 City of Riverside vendors and 500 external vendors. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on November 8th, 2023, with 17 vendors in attendance. Accumulating 98 prospective bidders, RFP No. 2331 closed on January 11, 2024, with a total of 17 responses. All responses were found to be responsive. Due to the amount of proposals received and the comprehensive review, evaluation, scoring, short listing of firms, interviews, and negotiations, the timeline was longer than expected.
In March 2024, under the guidance of the Purchasing Division, a Selection Committee was formed with three (3) City staff members and one (1) non-City stakeholder. The Selection Committee members independently scored each RFP response based on predefined criteria in RFP No. 2331. Scoring was distributed as follows: Approach and Methodology Specific to this Project (40%), Prior Experience in Designing Similar Facilities (25%), Qualification (15%), Professional References (10%), and Cost (10%). Based on the Selection Committee’s independently scored evaluations for Round 1, four (4) firms were invited to participate in the next phase, which included presentations and interview sessions conducted by the Committee. Round 2 Interview scores were based on the following criteria: Approach and Methodology (40%), Prior Experience in Designing Similar Facilities (25%), Qualifications (25%), and Interview Presentation (10%). Under the direction of the Purchasing Department the four firms presented their proposal and were interviewed and scored independently by the Selection Committee. As a result of this process, ELS Architecture and Urban Design (ELS) was selected as the firm with the top score.
The evaluation criteria, total points and rankings for each evaluation round are summarized in the tables below.
Round 1
Evaluation Results
VENDOR
LOCATION
TOTAL COST
TOTAL POINTS
RANK
M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc.
Los Angeles
$1,101,951.00
381.00
1 CannonDesign
Irvine
$2,296,144.00
367.20
2 ELS
Los Angeles
$1,883,742.00
354.40
3 ONYX Architects, Inc.
Pasadena
$2,236,503.00
353.72
4 Page & Turnbull
San Francisco
$1,877,232.50
339.48
5 Architects Mosher Drew
San Diego
$1,882,500.00
339.40
6 Ruhnau Clarke Architects
Riverside
$1,632,500.00
328.00
7 RIOS
Los Angeles
$1,420,775.00
321.04
8 SVA Architects, Inc.
Santa Ana
$1,525,760.00
317.88
9 DSEA
Orange
$1,246,260.00
314.36
10 Pfeiffer Partners Architects Inc.
Los Angeles
$1,838,210.00
312.96
11 Atkin Olshin Schade Architects, Inc.
Philadelphia
$1,185,326.00
305.20
12 Jenkins/Gales & Martinez, Inc.
San Bernardino
$1,721,992.00
302.60
13 Shepphird Associates
Calabasas
$1,841,850.00
301.92
14 RA-DA
West Hollywood
$1,790,350.00
293.60
15 JSFA
Los Angeles
$1,577,500.00
292.96
16 KFA, LLP
Culver City
$1,505,470.00
289.28
17 The top four consultants were within a competitive point range and were invited to move forward into Interviews (Round 2 Evaluation).
Round 2
Evaluation Results
VENDOR
LOCATION
TOTAL COST
TOTAL POINTS
RANK
ELS
Los Angeles, Ca
$1,883,742.00
388.00
1 M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc.
Los Angeles, Ca
$1,101,951.00
337.00
2 CannonDesign
Irvine, Ca
$2,296,144.00
320.00
3 ONYX Architects, Inc.
Pasadena, Ca
$2,236,503.00
281.00
4 ELS entered into negotiations with the City Staff and reduced their pricing without changing scope, from $1,883,742 to $1,750,000.
Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 508 Awards states, “Contracts procured through Formal Procurement shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity to the Lowest Responsive and Responsible, except that… (d) Contracts for Professional Services procured through Formal Procurement shall be awarded by the City Council.” The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommended actions are in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 508 (d).
ELS Architecture and Urban Design is an award-winning architectural practice with a 50-plus year tradition in the design of extraordinary buildings and spaces that enhance the experience of urban life while being mindful of the environment. The firm’s portfolio represents a diverse array of projects, including community and civic, recreation and sports, historic renovation, performing arts, education, mixed use, retail, sustainable design, and planning and urban design. ELS has ranked among the Top 50 firms in the U.S. by Architect magazine for six years and is listed among the 2021 Architectural Record Top 300 Architecture Firms.
The PRCSD enriches the community by offering the Recreation Arts Program (RAP) out of the Cesar Chavez Community Center. RAP provides instruction in a variety of artistic disciplines, including keyboard, guitar, hip hop, ballet, and visual arts. Recognizing the financial barriers that some residents may face, the program offers scholarships to qualified individuals, ensuring accessibility and promoting inclusivity within the performing arts. The program plays a significant role in fostering a vibrant arts environment within the community, demonstrably improving the quality of life for residents.
The Cesar Chavez Community Center also serves as a hub for various non-profit organizations and associations in Riverside. These organizations offer a range of programs that directly benefit the city's residents. A prime example is the RAA music program, which utilizes the center's facilities to provide instruction to students from across the region. This historic center, located in Riverside's Eastside neighborhood, fosters a collaborative environment where students can learn, grow, and create artistic expression together. RAA boasts a comprehensive curriculum, offering instruction in guitar, strings, band, orchestra, mariachi, and choir.
The planned renovations for the Cesar Chavez Community Center will significantly improve equal access throughout the facility providing a shared experience for all community members visiting the center. Additional improvements to the classrooms and auditorium will enhance the learning experience by providing updated programing spaces and equipment to develop the creativity of the students engaged in the programs offered. Lastly, the planned renovations will help preserve this unique historical landmark by correcting problems caused by weathered windows and inefficient mechanical equipment. Once completed, the renovations proposed will create a refreshed community facility that preserves the history of the past and provides creative learning space for the future.
Staff anticipates that this project will be completed by the grant deadline in March of 2026.
The General Services Director concurs with this report.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority No. 1 Arts, Culture & Recreation and Goal 1.1 - Strengthen Riverside’s portfolio of arts, culture, recreation, senior and lifelong learning programs and amenities through expanded community partnerships, shared use opportunities and fund development.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The facility renovations benefit the City’s diverse population, and result in greater public good.
Equity – This report facilitates equitable access to arts, culture, and recreational service offerings to ensure every member of the community has equal access to share the benefits of the renovated Cesar Chavez Community Center.
Fiscal Responsibility – The fiscal impact is the appropriation of $1,750,000 of State of California Grant funds plus a 10% design contingency of $175,000 for a total amount of $1,925,000 if approved by the City Council.
Innovation – The renovated Cesar Chavez Community Center located at 2060 University is inventive and timely in meeting the community’s changing needs and prepares for the future through collaborative partnerships and adaptive learning experiences.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The Cesar Chavez Community Center is currently designated as a State Historical Landmark, proposed renovation to the facility and its interior space will ensure the needs of the community presently are not compromised with their needs of the future.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the action is $1,750,000 plus a 10% design contingency in the amount of $175,000 equal to a total amount of $1,925,000 for the project design, bidding assistance, and construction administration. Funds are budgeted and available in the Grants & Restricted Programs Fund, Cesar Chavez Center Renovation Project account number 9410200-462050.
Prepared by: Stephanie Gallegos, Recreation Supervisor Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Agreement
RFP Award Recommendation
Renovate the Cesar E. Chavez Community Center – Approve Agreement with ELS ● Page 4