Fire commission hears timeline and budget questions for new training center; Swinerton proposed as CMGC

San Francisco Fire Commission members on March 26 heard updates on the department’s new Carroll Street training center and pressed staff and contractors about construction costs, schedule and community benefits.

Chief of Department Dean Crispin and Garrett Miller, Assistant Deputy Chief for Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response, said the project has completed design development and that construction cost estimates from multiple estimators are due within days to weeks. “It is at the estimators as we speak,” Miller said, adding that the executive architect and Public Works each have separate cost estimates and that Swinerton will provide a third estimate once on board for preconstruction services.

Commissioners repeatedly asked when there would be a firm construction contract and who would be bound to a final price. Miller said the construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) delivery process means contractors submitted proposals during the selection phase and that Swinerton’s proposed contract amount will be presented to the Public Works Commission. “Once Public Works Commission approves their contract,” Miller said, “Swinerton will be bound to that contractual amount.”

Commissioners flagged budget risk. One commissioner noted the bond allocation and rising construction costs and asked how the department will avoid using contingency funds. Miller said Public Works has taken “a conservative” approach and included contingencies for soil, escalation and other unknowns, and that his team has a “laser focus” on minimizing contingency drawdowns so money remains available for other projects.

Commissioners and staff discussed remaining entitlement steps. Miller said a CEQA addendum and land-use amendments are still in process and that Public Works will shepherd entitlements with Planning and the City Attorney; a commissioner asked Public Works to appear at a future commission meeting to outline the entitlement schedule and the public review steps.

Officials said Swinerton was selected as the construction manager/general contractor in the preconstruction phase and that the team expects to present contract approval items to the Public Works Commission soon. Staff reiterated an aggressive schedule goal for a fall start of construction, but characterized that timeline as contingent on environmental sampling, entitlement approvals and completion of construction documents.

Commissioners also raised local-hiring and community-benefit expectations. Chief Crispin and Miller said Swinerton’s proposal emphasized compliance with city contracting rules, local hire and the project labor agreement expected to govern major bond-funded work.

Why it matters: The training center is funded through the city’s EASER (Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response) bond program and is a large capital project with a construction budget that commissioners said must be tightly managed to avoid reducing other planned station upgrades.

Planning and next steps: Miller said final construction estimates from the estimators will be available in about 10 days to two weeks and that the Public Works Commission would receive contract items for preconstruction services prior to a full construction contract approval. Commissioners asked staff to schedule a Public Works representative at a future meeting to outline entitlements, schedule and budget controls.