The Norwalk City Council on Oct. 7 authorized budget amendments and awarded a contract for construction management services tied to abatement, demolition and remediation work at the former California Youth Authority site at 13200 Bloomfield Ave., a 30‑acre property the city purchased in July 2025.

Alex Hamilton, presenting for the city, summarized the procurement: the city issued RFP No. 26‑827 for construction management services in July 2025; eight firms submitted proposals; four finalists were interviewed; and the evaluation committee ranked Cummings Management Group (CMG) first based on relevant public‑sector experience, prior work related to large remediation/demolition projects and preexisting familiarity with the CYA site. Hamilton recommended awarding a contract to CMG and requested council approval to appropriate funds for interim property security, maintenance and construction management services.

The council-approved resolution (25‑46) amends the FY25‑26 budget to appropriate $355,861 from low‑ and moderate‑income housing asset funds and $533,791 from former redevelopment agency non‑housing bond proceeds to finance ongoing security, maintenance and construction management oversight. Hamilton said those city expenditures will be advanced by the city but reimbursed by Lewis Land Developers (the city’s development partner) under an agreed budget and that the construction‑management costs will be reimbursed from state funds currently held in escrow for the project. The staff report requested authority to award a contract to CMG in the amount noted in the report and to allow the city manager to execute the agreement with a 15% contingency if funding is available.

Council members thanked staff for completing the procurement and noted that advancing property security and project oversight costs had been anticipated in the purchase and disposition negotiations; staff said the city had incurred ongoing security and site costs since the state vacated the site prior to escrow closing July 28, 2025, and that the reimbursement mechanisms are part of the developer and state funding agreements. The council voted unanimously to adopt the budget amendment and award the contract (roll call: Ramirez, Rios, Valencia, Vice Mayor Jennifer Perez and Mayor Tony Ayala voted aye).

Implementation notes: staff said the construction manager will assist the city during abatement, demolition, and remediation operations on the multi‑building site; the city will record costs for reimbursement by the developer per the DDA and by state escrowed funds for remediation; and CMG representatives and the development partner were present for tonight’s meeting.