Commission approves $71 million contract for Southeast Community Center at 1550 Evans

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission voted Jan. 22 to approve the Southeast Community Center project at 1550 Evans and to award a construction-manager/general-contractor contract to Pan Cal/Pankau for an amount not to exceed $71,181,251.

Shelby Campbell, the project manager, summarized two years of planning and community engagement, saying staff completed programming, site and floor plans and secured planning approvals. She said outreach included 57 touch points with the commission and more than 16 public presentations; community surveys found 71% support for building new at 1550 Evans rather than renovating the older 1800 Oakdale center.

Campbell described the building''s program: multi-level community spaces, a childcare center with capacity for more than 70 children, affordable co-working/training space for workforce partners, green open space, and public art selected through the Bayview arts master plan. The project is designed to meet LEED Gold and staff said they are pursuing higher certification.

Commission discussion focused on sustainability and local hiring. Commissioners emphasized the project's local contracting and workforce participation goals; project staff said the CMGC solicitation required proposers to lay out concrete plans to engage and prepare local businesses and workers.

The commission approved the award by voice vote. Staff said design completion and demolition are scheduled to begin in summer with a grand-opening target in 2021.

Next steps: finalize contract with the CMGC, advertise for construction management services, and return with periodic progress updates on local hire and sustainability certifications.