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City briefed on new Animal Care Services hospital; project timeline and budget details given
Summary
Public Works briefed the Audit Committee on a solicitation for construction services to build a new Animal Care Services hospital and renovate an existing clinic; committee members raised questions about project length, cost containment and animal vaccination concerns.
Razi Hosseini, director of Public Works, briefed the Audit Committee on May 13 on a planned competitive solicitation for construction services to build a new Animal Care Services (ACS) hospital and renovate an existing clinic, a 2022 bond project located in Council District 5.
Hosseini said the solicitation seeks one firm for the construction of the new hospital, that estimated completion would be 667 calendar days, and that the project is funded by the 2022 bond program. The meeting caption for the item listed an estimated total value of $12,843,100; Hosseini stated during the briefing that the contract "value of contract, 4,800,000.0." The solicitation will be advertised through the city's normal method; Hosseini said 340 vendors in the city vendor registry could perform this work.
Hosseini described evaluation criteria and planned schedule: evaluation points include experience/qualifications and project understanding; pricing was listed at 15 points and MWBE goals were included. He said the solicitation release date would be May 19, 2025, with a presubmittal conference on June 4, 2025, and that the department anticipates returning to the audit committee on Oct. 25 and to city council in November 2025. Hosseini said the department anticipates construction to start in December and finish in February (presenter did not specify final calendar year for the completion date in the briefing).
Council members questioned the time taken to move the project to solicitation and the city's plans to keep the project within budget. Councilman Kerch asked why it took two and a half years to reach the solicitation stage; Hosseini replied that the project required programming, design and selection of an architect before advertising for construction. Council members also emphasized animal‑health concerns: one member said a key priority is accounting for animals that arrive without vaccinations and designing the clinic and hospital to limit disease spread.
On budget control, staff said final cost estimates are refined as design is completed and that if proposals come in over budget, the department will pursue value‑engineering changes before bringing contracts to council.
This item was a briefing only; no committee action was taken.
