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Murrieta awards construction contract for Innovation Center wet‑/dry‑lab buildout; project funded largely by $2.4M federal EDA grant
Summary
Council approved a construction contract for tenant improvements at the Murrieta Innovation Center (MIC) to build wet‑lab and dry‑lab space. The low bid was Optima RPM; council approved the contract and related purchase order and amended the CIP budget. Vote was 3-2 with two members recused.
Murrieta — The City Council on Feb. 18 approved awarding a construction contract and related construction management purchase order for tenant improvements at the Murrieta Innovation Center, a life‑sciences startup incubator.
James Wirtz, the city’s business development program manager, and Martha Samaniego, management analyst for economic development, summarized a multi‑year effort to renovate the center and convert part of the facility into wet‑lab and dry‑lab space. The project is largely funded by a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant of $2,400,000; Impact Riverside County agreed to fund half of the required local match.
City staff said seven general contractors submitted bids, six of them responsive. Optima RPM submitted the lowest responsive bid at $3,100,000; staff recommended awarding a construction contract not to exceed $3,189,000 with a 15% contingency of $478,000 (total project construction budget of $3,600,000). Staff also recommended a $155,000 purchase order for construction management and labor‑compliance services (RW BId) and an amendment to the capital project budget to cover remaining costs. Taking the EDA grant, local matches and supplemental City funds into account, staff said total project funding will be approximately $4,383,000.
Samaniego told the council the EDA program is reimbursable and that the city must first expend eligible amounts and then request reimbursement. She said design costs are not eligible for EDA reimbursement and described required federal labor‑compliance monitoring.
No public testimony was given on this item. The council voted to award the contract and approve the purchase order; the motion carried 3-2 with Council members Holiday and Lavelle recused from the vote. Council member Stone moved the contract award; Council member DeForest seconded.
Why it matters: The Innovation Center is the region’s life‑science incubator, and the wet‑lab conversion is intended to support biotech, medtech and health‑tech startups and create local jobs. The federal grant represents the largest single external funding source for the buildout.
What’s next: Construction is expected to proceed according to the contractor’s schedule (staff noted a working‑days requirement in the bid documents); staff will process EDA reimbursements as costs are incurred.
