SR-904-005
F:\CMANAGER\Staff Reports\Police Building Disposition.doc
Council Meeting: December 16, 2003 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: A design/build contract with SKS Construction for the pre-construction
services for the demolition of the old police building.
Introduction
This report recommends authorization to proceed with demolition of the vacant former
Police Building at the rear of City Hall. The recommendation is based on studies that
evaluated the historical status and preservation possibilities of the building in relation to
City Hall, and the cost of renovating the building to address seismic and accessibility
deficiencies. The pre-construction contract will be to SKS Construction in an amount not
to exceed $46,600 and a contingency of $4,660.
Background
On November 24, 1939, the newly constructed Santa Monica City Hall was dedicated. The
original U-shaped structure consisted of a three-story central pavilion flanked by two two-
and-a-half-story wings and a courtyard at the rear of the central pavilion between the two
wings of the structure. City administrative, police and fire operations were housed in the
th
structure. Fire operations would later move to headquarters on 7 Street.
1
To provide space for the expansion of the police department, in 1958 a three-story
structure was added to the east, connecting to the north and south wings of City Hall and
enclosing the central courtyard. As noted in the City Hall Historic Structure Report, recently
prepared by Historic Resources Group:
?Placement of the building addition at the rear of City Hall was not the
original plan. Initial plans were to erect the structure on Fourth Street near
Olympic Boulevard. However, the Santa Monica City Council and Planning
Commission rejected that site proposal because of the possible future
expansion of the Santa Monica Freeway west of Lincoln Boulevard along
Olympic Boulevard. Placing the police department in the path of the freeway
would interfere with the freeway expansion plans. Lacking other viable
options, the council and planning commission approved the connection of
the new building to the east side of the City Hall between the north and
south wings.?
Since 1958, there have been additional expansions and remodels to the southern wing of
City Hall.
With respect to the building alterations, the Historic Structure Report concluded:
?Based on the date of original construction and National Register
requirements, the Santa Monica City Hall?s period of significance is defined
as 1938-1951. ?All later additions and alterations, including the 1958
structure attached to the rear of City Hall, are deemed insignificant.?
The Police Department moved into the new Public Safety Facility in September 2003,
vacating the later additions.
Discussion
Vacation of the structure presents challenges and liabilities with respect to the building?s
maintenance and security. The JCM Group has evaluated the cost and construction
2
implications of reusing or demolishing the former police building. They concluded that in
order to effectively reuse the structure and complete ADA, structural, seismic and tenant
improvements, major portions of the interior would need to be gutted. The adaptive reuse
of the building would cost approximately $9.6 million, create approximately 28,700 gross
square feet of office space, and require about 22 months to complete. The cost of
demolition of the building and replacement with a landscaped courtyard was estimated to
be $2.7 million.
Using all available funds for the former Police building would reduce their availability for
seismic retrofit work to City Hall, which has been estimated at $2.5 million. The City Hall
retrofit project has been deferred pending decisions regarding the disposition of the former
Police building, opportunities for relocation of existing staff and availability of funding.
As discussed at the Council study session in June 2003, the former police building could
house some of the City?s services that are currently located off site in private office
buildings. The City currently pays nearly $1.5 million annually to lease approximately
40,000 sq. ft. of private office space, of which approximately 70 percent is occupied by
General Fund services. The availability of the police wing for these services could reduce
the City?s annual off-site rents by approximately $1 million. However, rehabilitation and
reuse of the former police building is not recommended for the following financial and
policy reasons:
?
In order for the investment in rehabilitating the former police building to represent
a net savings, City services would need to occupy the building for a minimum of 10
years;
3
?
The CIP funds available for rehabilitation/seismic improvements to City Hall are
insufficient to cover the estimated cost;
?
Other options discussed at the Council study session in June (temporarily
occupying the RAND Z Building or temporarily locating modular buildings on the
RAND site) are less costly to the City;
?
The estimated per-square-foot rehabilitation cost of approximately $333 is
comparable to the cost of new construction, yet the former police building does not
have the architectural distinction or integrity that would be expected from new
construction;
?
As discussed above, the former police building lacks the historic integrity of the
original City Hall building. The Civic Center Plan update, which was developed
through an 18-month community process, calls for the demolition of the former
police wing in order to allow for the eventual restoration of City Hall and the
creation of an important visual and public relationship between City Hall, the
Public Safety Building and the proposed Civic Center Parking Structure. The plan
also provides for a new City Services Facility, to be located northwest of the City
Hall, to provide for consolidation of local services in the Civic Center.
Staff recommends demolition of the 1958 three-story addition with retention of portions of
the later additions to the south wing of City Hall, as they house other City operations that
cannot reasonably be relocated. Retention of these elements will not significantly diminish
the open space benefits identified in the CCSP. Staff recommends that interim landscape
and hardscape improvements be installed until a permanent courtyard, as called for in the
CCSP, can be designed and developed as part of the future rehabilitation of City Hall.
Based on two design-build proposals received for the project, staff recommends
authorizing the City Manager to execute a design/build contract with SKS Construction in
an amount not to exceed $46,600, for pre-construction services for the demolition of the
old police building. The design/build contractor will be required to complete the demolition
4
of the old Police Building and provide a courtyard with basic landscaping and hardscape
with a screening element along Avenida Mazatlan. In addition, the contractor will be
required to engage a historic consultant to help ensure that the treatment of the post-
demolition exposed facades maintain the historic integrity of City Hall. Ultimately, a public
input process will have to be undertaken to determine the appropriate courtyard
improvements, which is expected to be completed in concert with the seismic retrofit and
rehabilitation of City Hall
Next Steps
If Council authorizes demolition of the former police building, design documents for
building demolition and interim courtyard improvements will be prepared. As City Hall is a
designated Santa Monica Landmark, the Landmarks Commission will review the proposed
demolition and consider a Certificate of Appropriateness. Staff will continue to study
options for bringing off-site City services back to the Civic Center area.
Budget/Financial Impact
A $3.3 million balance sheet set-aside is available for renovation/seismic work to City Hall.
As a result of the bond issuance for the new Public Safety Facility, hazard mitigation funds
previously identified for seismic work to City Hall ($1 million) and the existing Police
building ($335,700) are also available. In total, $4.6 million is available for the demolition
and courtyard improvements.
Funds required:
5
Pre-construction Services $46,600
10% Contingency $4,660
TOTAL $51,260
Funds are available in Account Number C01202000.589000.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate and
execute a design/build contract with SKS Construction in an amount not to exceed
$46,600, for pre-construction services and a contingency of $4,660 for the demolition of
the old police building.
Prepared By: Gordon R. Anderson, Assistant City Manager
Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and Community Development
Craig Perkins, Director of Environmental and Public Works Management
Andrew Agle, Assistant Director of Planning and Community Development
Lauren Friedman, City Architect, Environmental and Public Works Mgt.
6