City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: AUGUST 11, 2026 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT WARD: 1 SUBJECT: DESIGN-BUILD AGREEMENT FROM REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 2512 WITH CAL-CITY CONSTRUCTION, INC. OF CERRITOS, CALIFORNIA, FOR RENOVATION OF FAIRMOUNT PARK ARMORY BUILDING FOR THE TERM OF 450 DAYS AFTER NOTICE TO PROCEED ISSUANCE IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,732,362, PLUS 10% CHANGE ORDER AUTHORITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $273,236.20, FOR A TOTAL NOT-TO-EXCEED AGREEMENT AMOUNT OF $3,005,598.20; AND SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION OF $1,028,972.42 ISSUES:
Consider approving a Design-Build Agreement from Request for Proposals No. 2512 with Cal-City Construction, Inc. of Cerritos, California, for renovation of Fairmount Park Armory Building for the term of 450 days after notice to proceed issuance in the amount of $2,732,362, plus 10% change order authority in the amount of $273,236.20 for a total not-to-exceed agreement amount $3,005,598.20; and supplemental appropriation of $1,028,972.42.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve a Design-Build Agreement form Request for Proposals No. 2512 with Cal-City Construction, Inc. of Cerritos, California for renovation of the Fairmount Park Armory Building for the term of 450 days after notice to proceed issuance in the amount of $2,732,362; Authorize a 10% change order authority, in the amount of $273,236.20, for project changes such as unforeseen conditions or necessary design modifications; Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Agreement with Cal-City Construction, Inc. including making minor and non-substantive changes; and With at least five affirmative votes, authorize the Chief Financial Officer, or designee, to record a supplemental appropriation in the amount of $1,028,972.42 in the Regional Parks Special Capital Improvement Fund, Fairmount Park Armory Project expenditure account from available fund balance.
BACKGROUND:
In 2024, the City of Riverside secured $2.5 million in Community Project Funding (federal grant) committed toward environmental remediation, building code upgrades, and other building and site renovations at the Fairmount Park Armory Building.
On March 14, 2024, a community meeting was held to get input on the Armory renovations and the River District.
On December 4, 2024, the City issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 2438 to identify a private entity to reactivate this historic Armory site and enhance the vibrancy of Fairmount Park and the Santa Ana River Area.
On January 6, 2026, City Council approved a lease agreement for the Armory Building with Thompson Brewing, Co. LLC to create a family friendly, multicultural, and multigenerational environment that encourages outdoor activities and community connections. Their proposed complex will feature a beer garden, event spaces with live music, art events, cornhole, and other recreational and community-oriented activities. The Armory Building will be renovated for this use.
The National Guard still occupies the land north of the Armory but is planning to vacate that property in the coming years. The City may decide to lease that property once it is vacated by the National Guard.
DISCUSSION:
The Armory, built in 1959 as a military maintenance facility, sits on 4.67 acres and features a 12,000-square-foot mid-century modern building with a large, vaulted interior space, exposed beams, a kitchen, and restrooms, however, the building needs to be renovated to meet current building codes. The building is surrounded by a large, flat lawn and a parking lot. It is strategically located at one of the main entries into Fairmount Park. This historical park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers landscape architectural design firm, founded by the two sons of famed landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The northern boundary overlooks Springbrook Arroyo/University Wash, a tributary to the Santa Ana River that is currently undergoing renovation to beautify the tributary.
Located at a key entrance to both the City and Fairmount Park, the Armory is just a four-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from Riverside’s vibrant downtown, with direct public bus access available. Thompson Brewing, Co. has entered into a lease agreement with the City for the Armory Building, to create a family-friendly, multicultural, and multigenerational environment that encourages outdoor activities and community connections. Their proposed complex will feature a beer garden, event spaces with live music, art events, cornhole, and other recreational and community-oriented activities. This adaptive reuse of the Armory is part of a broader effort to invest in this area of Riverside, including the master planning and revitalization of the historic Fairmount Park, investment in the Fairmount Golf Course, and the development of a River District public realm.
The project being awarded will provide design and construction services for environmental remediation, building code upgrades, and other building and site renovations needed to prepare the Armory Building to be leased.
Purchasing Overview
On November 6, 2025, the City’s Purchasing Division (Purchasing) issued Request for Proposals (RFP) No. 2512 on PlanetBids seeking prospective proposers to provide design-build proposals for the renovation of the Armory Building at Fairmount Park and the construction of Pickleball Courts.
The solicitation notification is summarized in the table below:
Action
Number of Vendors
External Vendors Notified
500
City of Riverside Vendors Notified
855
Vendors who downloaded the RFP
155
Proposals received
3 A mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held on November 18, 2025, with 38 vendors in attendance. A second pre-proposal meeting was held only for those that attended the first meeting on January 7, 2026, with one vendor in attendance. A total of 81 questions were received from prospective proposers, and 6 addenda were posted. RFP No. 2512 closed on January 30, 2026, with a total of 3 responses. All responses were found to be responsive and responsible Under the guidance of Purchasing, 4 City staff from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCSD) evaluated the proposals for one round, which resulted in Cal-City Construction, Inc. ranking No. 1. The evaluation criteria, total points and rankings for each evaluation round are summarized in the tables below.
Round 1 – Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Criteria
Total Points
Qualifications
35%
Approach and Methodology
10%
Experience (Projects of similar size and scope)
20%
Professional References
10%
Pricing
25%
Round 1 – Evaluation Results
Vendor
Location
Base Bid Cost
Evaluation Scores
Rank
Cal-City Construction, Inc.
Cerritos, CA
$3,989,500
881.51
1 SAS Constructions
Santa Ana, CA
$3,475,000
755.00
2 Bergman Build, LLC
Brea, CA
$6,412.236
692.98
3 Following the evaluation, Cal-City Construction, Inc. was selected as the most qualified company to perform the requirements of the RFP. Cal-City Construction, Inc. entered into negotiations with the City and reduced their pricing without changing scope, from $3,989,500 to $3,875,284, resulting in $114,216 savings. The new negotiated price was still above the department’s budget, so it was determined that the reduction of scope, removing the Pickleball Courts Base Bid portion of the project, was necessary. This resulted in further negotiations, as Cal-City Construction, Inc. originally spread their original expenses for general conditions between all base bid-line items. With the Pickleball Courts being removed, Cal-City could not cover their general condition costs. The department agreed to an increased amount of $238,649 to cover these costs. The agreement price of $2,732,362 includes the Armory Building base bid and three additive items, described in the Bid Award Schedule below.
This action is pursuant to Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 508 which states, “Contracts procured through Formal Procurement shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity to the Lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder, except that…(c) Contracts procured through Formal Procurement for Services or Professional Services, where a Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications was used to solicit Bids, shall be awarded by the Awarding Entity in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications.” The Purchasing Manager concurs that the recommended action is compliant with Purchasing Resolution 24101.
The PRCSD recommends that a construction contract in the amount of $2,732,362 be awarded to Cal-City Construction, Inc. for the Project according to the following bid schedules:
Bid Award Schedule
Bid Amount
Base Bid - Design and Engineering Services
A-1
Design and Engineering Services for Armory Building Renovations $195,261.00
Base Bid - Construction Services
B-1
Fire suppression system, fire extinguishers, fire safety related signage, lights, etc. $182,300.00
B-2
Electrical panel, outlets, Rab exterior lighting, data lines for point-of-sale $309,527.00
B-3
Building preparation and coordination to accommodate future solar panels $52,574.00
B-4
Replace HVAC system with new Carrier systems (heat pump or similar resource $216,407.00
B-5
Hood ventilation systems
$68,288.00
B-6
Grease trap system
$89,434.00
B-7
Floor drains and washable surfaces
$49,179.00
B-8
Utility and infrastructure modifications to expand/relocate restrooms… $58,976.00
B-9
Remove all interior non-load bearing walls
$53,059.00
B-10
Remove extraneous equipment throughout building including basketball hoops $16,296.00
B-11
Remove all floor coverings down to clean, residue free concrete and repair $86,524.00
B-12
Repair interior and exterior walls, ceilings, and other surfaces $314,668.00
B-14
ADA compliance (doors, walkways, restrooms, etc.)
$83,129.00
B-15
Repair broken doors, windows and glass
$36,569.00
B-16
Walkways and concrete pads for ADA accessibility
$46,657.00
B-17
Foundation and structural repairs if needed
$55,096.00
B-18
Structural reinforcement for roof signs and lights
$89,434.00
B-19
ADA accessible restrooms
$61,013.00
B-20
Install trash enclosure
$57,230.00
B-21
Hazardous materials abatement
$162,669.00
Additive Bid - Construction Services
C-2
Exterior perimeter 6' high wrought iron fencing and gates $62,856.00
C-6
Paint exterior walls. Protect in place the mural
$22,116.00
C-12
Roof Replacement
$124,451.00
General Conditions
$238,649.00
Total Contract Award
$2,732,362.00
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the contract award, including a 10% contingency, is $3,005,598.20. In addition, upon Council approval, a supplemental appropriation in the Regional Parks Special Capital Improvement fund in the amount of $1,028,972.42 will be recorded on the project as stated in Table 2 below from available fund balance. The fund has sufficient reserves to accommodate the appropriation.
Table 1 – Project Costs
Task
Amount
Construction Contract (Cal-City Construction, Inc.)
$2,732,362.00
Construction Contingency (10%)
$273,236.20
Permits, testing, inspections, other construction support expenses (10%) $273,236.20
Total Costs
$3,278,834.40
Table 2 – Project Funding
Fund
Project
Account
Amount
Grants & Restricted Programs
Fairmount Park Armory
9282800-440120
$2,249,861.98
Regional Parks Special Capital Improvement
9282854-440305
$1,028,972.42*
Total Funding
$3,278,834.40
*Supplemental Appropriation
The Armory Building has been generally closed for several years and open only for occasional events, so maintenance expenses have been minimal. After the renovation, the building will be open for public use and will require regular on-going maintenance. Maintenance of the renovated interior will be the responsibility of the future lessee of the Armory Building. The City will maintain the exterior walls, roof, HVAC, foundations, and the parking lot. The City is already maintaining these items so there is no increased maintenance costs for the City resulting from the recommended actions.
Prepared by: Ali Borujerdi, Project Manager Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachments:
Award Recommendation
Design-Build Agreement
RFP No. 2512 Armory Rehabilitation ● Page 3