Vallejo council orders finish of police headquarters design, taps Monsanto funds to close shortfall

The Vallejo City Council on Sept. 23 voted to complete design work for a proposed Vallejo Community Safety Center at 111 Amador Street and to phase bids so the main headquarters can be built first, leaving two ancillary buildings (a renovated courtyard and K-9/kennel facility) as alternates to be built later if funding allows.

The council's decision came after a nearly four-hour discussion over design changes, cost escalation and project management. Indigo Architects' principal Bruce (Plaio/Plai in the presentation) told the council the fully developed project would cost an estimated $110 million to construct and requires roughly a 32-month construction schedule. "It's about a 32 month construction interval required," the architect said, describing a program that includes a 67,900-square-foot main building, repurposed courtyard structures for training and a firing range, and photovoltaic canopies intended to reduce operating costs.

City Manager Murray and staff told the council the design is 95% complete but that an additional estimated $746,200 is needed to finish a permit-ready bid set and cover associated pre-construction tasks such as parcel merger work and commissioning support. Murray said some of the additional scope (including LEED-related work and parcel consolidation) developed during later design stages and that staff had not earlier recognized the cumulative funding gap.

After extended questioning from council members about who authorized late-stage changes, what had been included in earlier scopes, and whether the project should be value-engineered, the council directed staff to proceed to complete 100% design and to use a phased bid approach (base bid for the main building, alternates for the courtyard and K-9 renovations) so the city can choose to proceed only with what it can afford at award time.

On a separate but linked financing question, council members voted to use available Monsanto settlement funds to cover the immediate design shortfall. City staff reported there is a Monsanto settlement balance in the multimillions (staff cited roughly $4.1 million available for unrestricted uses) and the council approved drawing from that balance for the current design step. Council also asked staff to return with a financing plan showing realistic bond/lease and public-private options and an assessment of what the city can reasonably borrow without overleveraging its finances.

Councilmembers pushed staff to present a short timeline, a project-management plan (including the role of the city's project manager consultant CSG), and a clear interim plan for police and public-works staff who occupy the 111 Amador campus during construction. Murray committed to returning with a firm plan and regular monthly updates.

"We could be ready to bid in about 6 months with an approved permit set by the City of Vallejo plus 32 to 36 months," Indigo's architect said. Council members repeatedly urged both a stronger internal oversight process and clearer public reporting so the next phases avoid the perceived "scope creep" and staffing turnover that complicated earlier phases.

The vote authorizes staff to complete design and to package the project for phased bidding; it also authorized using Monsanto funds to cover the immediate design gap and directed staff to return with financing options, a project-management plan and relocation contingencies.

Next steps: staff will finalize the permit-ready bid set, return with a financing plan and project-management details, and present options for temporary housing of police operations during construction.