SR-1000-001-04 (6)
iC
SEP z 8 2004
EPWM: CP: AA: DB:MM:\DA T A\SPFILES\SP1609\CC1609sept28.doc
Council Meeting: September 28,2004 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Presentation of Schematic Design for the Big Blue Bus Campus
Expansion Project, Phases II-IV
Introduction
This report seeks input from the City Council on the schematic design for the Big Blue
Bus (BBB) Campus Expansion Project, Phases II -IV.
Backqround
On February 27, 2001, City Council approved the BBB Facility Expansion Plan and
certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the project. Phase I (Fuel and Wash
Facility) has been completed and on September 11, 2001 Council awarded a design
contract to Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) for the design of Phases II-IV of the
BBB Campus Expansion Project.
On April 27, 2004, City Council approved in concept revisions to the BBB Campus
Expansion Plan. The revised expansion plan provides for construction of an
administration building with underground employee and visitor parking at Sixth Street
and Colorado Avenue linked to a new maintenance facility along Seventh Street
between Colorado Avenue and Olympic Boulevard and on-site parking to accommodate
a total of 235 buses.
1
SEP 2 8 ,004,
8~
The remaining phases of the revised expansion plan are as follows:
(II a) Demolition of the existing SW ASHLOCK facility along Olympic Boulevard
and construction of a new modular facility for the OPCC Access Center
and SWASHLOCK at the site;
(lib) Demolition of the 612 Colorado Building, construction of a new
administration building with a below grade parking structure, and
subsequent demolition of prior administration building;
(II I) Construction of a transit bus maintenance facility; and
(IV) Demolition of the existing maintenance facility, grading, paving, and other
site improvements.
Discussion
Schematic Design
During this phase of the project HOK is refining the conceptual plan and increasing the
level of detail. HOK is revising the design to reflect comments and suggestions from
Council, including:
1) The pedestrian experience along Colorado Avenue and Seventh Street;
2) Scale and appropriateness to the neighborhood;
3) The articulation of the elevations;
4) Drive-through bays on Seventh Street;
5) Treatment at Colorado Avenue and Seventh Street; and
6) Client access to the social services facility on Olympic Boulevard via Fifth
Street and via Seventh Street.
2
The pedestrian amenities include a deep 10 foot wide landscaped zone along Colorado
Avenue which makes a dynamic pedestrian scaled "garden" along the public sidewalk.
The landscaping continues around the corner on Sixth Street and there are colorful
insets on the concrete sidewalk along Colorado Avenue, expanding into a plaza area on
Sixth Street. The 10-foot wide landscaped area continues along Seventh Street,
featuring existing and in-filled trees, indigenous plantings, and a dry rocky creek bed,
which filters storm water runoff. HOK has also modified the pedestrian experience by
adding a customer service entry on the corner of Colorado and Sixth Street, which is a
transparent, curved and inviting form.
Several techniques are used to break down the scale of the architectural forms. For
example, the scale of the Colorado Avenue elevation is broken down into distinct areas:
the oval corner entry, the curved glass curtain wall with sun screens, the permeable
central lobby, and the open outdoor terrace at Seventh Street. The administration
building along Colorado Avenue is three-stories, and becomes two-story on Seventh
Street as the maintenance building. The mass of the maintenance building is broken by
a folded roof plane and a changing pattern of glazed openings. It mirrors the proposed
Postal Annex Building across Seventh Street in its two-story height. The three-story
administration building mediates between the one-story to five-story buildings to the
north.
3
The elevations are articulated using similar exterior materials, but each building uses
them in varying amounts. For instance, less glass is used on the maintenance building,
less ceramic tile base is used on the administration building, and the bold, folded planes
and dramatic arcs of the new design tie the whole complex together.
The drive-through bays are limited to three on Seventh Street, and HOK has modified
the doors to minimize a garage-door appearance. HOK has also added more window
openings, and extensive drought-tolerant landscaping in the bioswale along Seventh
Street.
HOK mitigated the mass at the corner of Seventh Street and Colorado Avenue by
adding openings to the wall at the outdoor terrace, creating interest and more
interaction with the neighborhood.
Parking will be available for staff and clients of the new Access Center social services
facility in the new underground parking garage to be built under the administration
building on Colorado Avenue. The most direct route to the Access Center will be along
Seventh Street which has been broadened to 10 feet, and adjacent to the 15 foot
landscaped bioswale. The bus stop is also located at Seventh Street and Colorado
Avenue, leading clients to walk down Seventh Street. Should a client approach from
Fifth Street; there is an existing eight-foot sidewalk. Crossing zones will be indicated
around the new fueling area on the corner of Fifth and Olympic Boulevard.
4
Dan Corson, project artist, has updated his concepts including the perforated outdoor
terrace, cobalt blue wall, sky portals at the lunch room, and dynamic landscaping on an
accessible green roof.
The project team continues its evaluation of an integrated sustainable design. Many
features have been identified to produce a silver LEED rating. These include:
. Central plant system and photovoltaic system for increased energy efficiency
. Under floor air distribution, reducing energy costs and enhancing occupant health
. Use of recycled and recyclable materials
. Use of daylighting, reducing energy costs and increasing occupant satisfaction
. Permeable concrete and bioswale reducing urban runoff and bay pollution
. Alternative fuel facility, reduced emission buses
Additionally, a multidisciplinary team is collaborating to develop strategies to minimize
the use of resources, reduce any harmful effects on the environment and create a
healthy indoor environment. Life-cycle analysis and a "whole building" approach will
reduce the impact of construction and lower the operating costs of the new building.
Tenant Relocation
OPCC currently occupies a portion of the 612 Colorado Avenue facility. This property
was purchased in 1985 with dedicated public transit funding and leased to OPCC and
other tenants on a temporary basis until the site was needed for transit purposes.
5
On August 12, 2003, City Council approved the relocation of OPCC's Daybreak Shelter
and the establishment of their new Safe Haven program at 1751-1753 Cloverfield
Boulevard, and directed the retention of the Access Center program on the Big Blue
Bus campus. The southwest area of the campus currently houses SAMOSHEL, a 110-
bed homeless shelter, and SWASHLOCK which contains shower facilities, lockers,
laundry facilities and a counseling center for the homeless, both operated by the
Salvation Army.
On April 27, 2004, Council approved the option of incorporating the Access Center and
SW ASHLOCK in a two-story modular or pre-fabricated facility. OPCC will operate the
new Access Center, which will incorporate the SWASHLOCK functions into the new
facility. It provides space for Access Center functions with minimal disruption to
existing social service programs and Big Blue Bus operations. There is sufficient
outdoor queuing space for clients, and loading functions can also be accommodated on-
site. Staff parking would be accommodated within the proposed Big Blue Bus parking
structure.
Construction time, schedule and budget impacts are reduced for the agencies and the
BBB by the use of modular or pre-fabricated construction. Additionally, permanent
construction for uses other than transit services would not be allowed on transit
property. The construction of the OPCC Access Center and SWASHLOCK would occur
during the first stage of the facility expansion project, eliminating the need for OPCC
relocation from 612 Colorado during construction. Suitable on-site facilities will be
6
made available for the SWASHLOCK function during construction of the new Access
Center building.
CEQA
The subsequent phases of the revised Big Blue Bus Campus Expansion Plan will be
reviewed by the Planning Commission for their planning entitlements prior to
construction. An addendum has been prepared to the Big Blue Bus Facility Expansion
Environmental Impact Report to analyze the environmental implications of the revisions
to the Expansion Plan. No additional significant environmental impacts were identified.
The Planning Commission will consider the addendum along with the planning
applications for the subsequent phases of the Expansion Plan.
BudqetlFinancial Impact
There is no budget impact associated with Council action recommended in this report.
The project (Phases II-IV) is estimated to cost approximately $80.4 million, which
breaks down as follows. This cost estimate is subject to an increase due to inflation and
market fluctuations should unforeseen project delays occur.
Expansion Plan Preparation $ 350,000
EIR Preparation $ 200,000
Phases II-IV Design $ 4,500,000
(Administration and Maintenance Buildings,
Site Work and Utilities)
7
Phases II-IV Construction $59,600,000
Program & Construction Management, Testing $ 4,575,000
Relocation and Renovation Expenses $ 3,000,000
Furniture, Furnishings and Equipment $ 2,000,000
Administrative Costs, Contingencies and Miscellaneous $ 6,175,000
TOTAL $80,400,000
The project is funded by regional transportation funds (Proposition A & C, State Transit
Assistance Funds, and Transportation Development Act Funds) allocated to the Big
Blue Bus and requires no local general funds.
Recommendations
Staff recommends Council review the Big Blue Bus Campus Expansion Project
schematic design plans and provide comment and feedback as appropriate.
Prepared by: Craig Perkins, Director, Environmental & Public Works Management
Anthony Antich, P.E., City Engineer
Stephanie Negriff, Director, Big Blue Bus
Joe Stitcher, Assistant Director, Big Blue Bus - Transit Operations
Ralph Merced, Transit Maintenance Manager
Dave Britton, P.E., Principal Civil Engineer
Miriam Mulder, Architect
Attachments: Design Sketches, Plans and Renderings
8