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San Francisco selects Swinerton Power team for floating Fire Station 35 at Pier 22½
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Summary
Public Works updated the Fire Commission on the design-build plan for Fire Station 35 at Pier 22½, reporting a floating-barge design intended to adapt to sea level rise, selection of a Swinerton Power joint venture as the responsive proposer, and a fixed-budget procurement schedule tied to CEQA clearance.
Public Works presented detailed plans for Fire Station 35 at Pier 22½, telling the Fire Commission the project will sit on a floating barge to maintain operations as sea levels rise and to reduce environmental impacts from fixed piers. "One of the key aspects ... is adaptability to sea level rise," Gabriela Judd Cirelli said, describing hinged pedestrian and vehicular gangways that will pivot as the barge rises and falls.
The department described the project program and site conditions: the historic station on the landside will remain out of scope, the historic building is approximately 4,700 square feet and an adjacent shed about 1,700 square feet, and the new facility footprint and berthing capacity were presented as sufficient to house three large fireboats plus smaller craft. Cirelli said the design team used SFFD technical design criteria developed for bond-funded station projects and emphasized minimizing shadowing and ecological impacts on the bay.
Public Works said it ran a two-stage procurement and design competition; from five RFQ respondents the team shortlisted three firms and ultimately received one responsive proposal from a Swinerton Power joint venture. Cirelli stated the procurement was structured as a fixed budget limit project to control budget risk: "it is a fixed budget limit project," she said, and the successful proposer came in below the project's fixed limit.
Project schedule and permitting remain significant constraints. Public Works identified CEQA clearance as a key milestone and cited an assumed CEQA completion date of November 1, 2018, with proposer schedules showing SFFD occupancy in mid‑2020 under an accelerated construction plan. The presentation noted multiple permitting authorities for an over‑water structure, including the Port and BCDC, and described extensive stakeholder outreach planned for the conceptual phase.
Commissioners asked a range of technical questions. On hazardous materials and fuel storage near living quarters, Cirelli said storage would follow building and hazardous‑materials codes with compartmentalization and separation from living areas; she described walk‑off mats and self‑closing doors and other NFPA best practices to limit exposure. Commissioners also discussed communal dormitories; Cirelli said SFFD had preferred communal sleeping arrangements based on department standards and member consultations. Local hire goals were discussed: the design goal for local design participation was about 10% and the construction goal was set at 15% local business enterprise participation, with additional apprentice participation targets.
Next steps: Public Works expects to move into contracting with the selected design‑build team, advance the permit review process with the Port and BCDC, and begin a three‑month concept phase of outreach and design refinement. The department said it would return with further updates as design and contract milestones are reached.
