SR-091608-1H~;~Yaf City Council Report
Santa Monica
City Council Meeting: September 9, 2008
Agenda Item: I
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Donald P Patterson, Assistant to the City Manager Management Services
Subject: Administrative Office Space Needs Analysis
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1) authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional services
agreement with Gensler Architects, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $220,000 to
complete a space needs analysis for city administrative space needs; and
2) Authorize the budget changes outlined in the Financial and Budget Impacts
Section.
Executive Summary
Meeting the administrative office space needs of the city has been an ongoing
discussion since 2001. Initially an 111,000 square foot City Services Building was
envisioned for an area north of City Hall. The final Civic Center Specific Plan identified a
40,000 square foot building. Since the initial efforts, the amount of space the City leases
has grown to over 60,000 square feet and staff continues to be in inefficient. work
spaces in City Hall and in other City-owned facilities, including the pier, airport and
various parks. Af the October 2007 Council workshop, a discussion was held with initial
feedback received on a plan to revive efforts to address the city's on-going space
issues. The proposed space needs assessment will look to update the city's space
needs based on the current organizational structure and will. explore options for meeting
the administrative office space needs based on the current environment and economic
realities. Staff proposes using funds originally designated for the development of a
temporary building behind City Hall for this study.
Background
In 2001, the City contracted with a development team led by Sares~Regis Group
Northern California, to complete a Santa Monica City Hall Feasibility Study and Concept
Design. That analysis included a space needs assessment and adjacencies analysis of
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the then current organizational structure and provided preliminary design of a 111,245
square foot City Services Building with a 147,170 square .foot below-grade parking
structure. The estimated cost in 2002 was $70 million. The study set forth a standard
work space of 8' by 8' and predicted staff changes to 2009. This new study will build on
this analysis with updated data, a review of the working environment, a look at an open
office concept, an in depth review of collaboration and customer service spaces and will
also examine different scenarios for meeting the city's space needs given today's
financial and competing desires for the Civic Center.
The City currently leases 51,221 square feet in 10 separate locations citywide at an
annual cost of $2.2 million in addition to administrative staff that is located at City-owned
facilities, such as the Pier, Ken- Edwards Center and other park sites that-could be used
for community purposes. On July 8, 2008, Council endorsed the short term strategies
originally discussed in October 2007 that set forth goals of moving all staff to or adjacent
to the Civic Center as well as a long term strategy of completing a City Services
Building. At the October 2007 workshop, Council identified the space to the north of
City Hall (identified in the Civic Center Specific Plan), the city-owned site of the Sears
Auto Center and the space between City Hall and the Public Safety Facility as potential
locations for a building or buildings to meet the City's space needs.
To date, the following actions have been taken towards the fulfillment of the short term
goals:
• The lease of 1901 Main Street to house Housing & Economic Development
• The award of a design/build contract for the development of the Civic Center
Parking Structure space for Planning & Community Development staff.
• Exploration of additional lease opportunities at sites immediately adjacent to the
Civic Center.
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Discussion
The proposed administrative space needs analysis will examine the current
organizational structure, current working relationships as .well as current space
opportunities and realities. The study will also explore various strategies to meeting the
city's space needs in a manner that provides the most efficient adjacencies, customer
experience and working environment. As reviewed at the October 2007 workshop, the
study will examine both single building and campus solutions to meeting our space
needs. Upon completion of this analysis, the city will know the current and projected
office space needs, optimal adjacencies of related functions and/or departments,
proposed solutions to meeting these space needs, cost ranges of the various proposed
solutions.
Contractor/Consultant Selection
On April 24, 2008, a Request for Proposals for design services was posted on the City
website. The RFP was received by 38 firms. Five proposals were submitted on May 29,
2008. The proposals were reviewed by a selection committee including staff from Public
Works, Community and Cultural Services, Housing & Economic Development, Planning
& Community Development and City Manager's Office. The selection committee
unanimously recommends Gensler Architects, Inc. for this project. Gensler presented a
comprehensive proposal and team. that demonstrated extensive experience with
developing workplace space strategies. The firm has completed similar projects for King
County, Washington and Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties; the
California Department of Motor Vehicles, the City of Los Angeles and other private and
non-profit organizations. The cost proposals ranged from $147,048 to $299,470. The
average proposed cost was $243,194.
Next Steps
If Council approves the agreement with Gensler Architects, Inc. the next steps will be:
1) Proceed with a detailed space needs analysis reflecting today's organizational
structure, modern office design principals and any anticipated staff growth.
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2) Return to Council with a study session reflecting the results of the analysis as well
as a review of alternative approaches to address the city's space needs.
.Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff recommends that $220,000 be transferred from account 0010361.589000;
"Temporary PCD/Permit Center" to a new account, P014016.589000, for this study.
Prepared by: Donald P Patterson, Assistant to the City Manager-Management Services
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
~~cs----- ~_~/
Donald P Patterson `~P.~rfiont EN
Assistant to the City Manager City Manager
Management Services
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Reference Contract No.
8970 (CCS)