SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve work order and professional service agreement with Wannemacher Jensen Architects Inc., of St. Petersburg, FL, for the design of the new City Hall (22-0019-EN) in the amount of $2,948,340, pursuant to Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 24-22 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.
Body
SUMMARY:
With the aging city hall building (constructed in 1964), the City coordinated with the County and PSTA on a possible shared facility. A 2008 report showed promising efficiencies and a follow up feasibility study was completed in 2019. The County significantly increased their required square footage. The 2019 study showed a considerable reduction in efficiencies and operational and construction cost savings of a shared facility. Contributing factors include the increase in the County’s space needs, scheduling conflicts and lack of overlap and shared resources in City-County services. The County moved forward with an area-wide space utilization plan. City Hall staff moved to 600 Cleveland Street in January 2019.
RFQ 10-20 was advertised in October 2019. Harvard Jolly was selected to prepare numerous concept studies and sketches for potential city hall sites. November 18, 2019, staff presented their proposed site selection criteria and a list of nine potential sites to City Council. Council reached consensus that the study should consider housing all staff in the future city hall. Other items discussed were having an iconic building at a visible location, adding the Main Library to the list of sites and possible remodeling of the MSB.
Incorporating council direction from November 2019, staff ranked the two blocks south of MSB, and west of Myrtle Avenue as the preferred location. A collection of parcels on the east side of Myrtle between Park and Pierce Streets ranked as the second site. Harvard Jolly then completed a feasibility study of the two sites considering a stand-alone city hall, a combined government center, and possible construction of a parking garage. The results of the analysis were presented to Council on March 2, 2020. High-level estimated construction costs of the proposed options ranged from $22 to $64 million.
April 1, 2022, RFQ 24-22 for design services for a new city hall was advertised. The selection committee consisted of the City Manager, and representatives from Engineering, Planning and Legal. Five firms responded to the RFQ. The committee short listed three firms for oral presentations and selected Wannemacher Jensen Architects due to their innovative concepts.
The work order includes three concepts of varying architectural styles and locations (connected to MSB and on parcel south of MSB) for an approximately 40,000 square foot, LEED silver building. Design is expected to take 15 months through end of permitting (December 20, 2023), including city review time, DRC review and final building permit review and issuance. The scope also includes an update to the older space needs analysis, construction administration through end of the project along with design of the south parcel public space and parking if the current MSB parcel is chosen for the city hall building. Possible redevelopment of Pierce Street and East Avenue, between Franklin and Park Streets, to a convertible street (more pedestrian friendly) is included in the design scope. A parking garage is not anticipated. Construction via construction manager at risk (CMAR) is estimated to start in January 2024 and be completed in summer of 2025. The City will solicit owner’s representative and CMAR firms shortly.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
ENGF220001-DSGN-PROSVC $2,948,340
Funds are available in capital improvement project ENGF220001, City Hall, to fund this Work Order.