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Committee backs $19M contract amendment for Port seawall resilience work; Army Corps study partnership discussed
Summary
The committee recommended an amendment to the Port’s CH2M Hill contract to expand seawall resiliency planning and fund the city’s share of an Army Corps urban flood study. Port staff emphasized life‑safety focus, LBE participation and a multi‑decade phased program; BLA found the amendment consistent with industry norms and recommended approval.
The Budget & Finance Committee recommended that the Board approve an amendment to the Port of San Francisco’s professional services agreement with CH2M Hill to expand planning, engineering and environmental work for the Embarcadero Seawall and waterfront resilience program.
Brad Benson, the Port’s resilience director, asked for the committee’s recommendation to increase the CH2M contract by roughly $19 million to support work across the full 7.5‑mile port jurisdiction, not just the initial 3‑mile Embarcadero area. Benson framed the effort as a multi‑decade, multibillion‑dollar program focused first on life safety and emergency response and later on adapt planning for mid‑century sea‑level scenarios. He said the port expects to fund half of a proposed Army Corps urban flood study estimated at $20 million over five years and pledged a 29% LBE participation goal in the contract amendment.
BLA’s Severin Campbell said the amendment raises the original planning contract from $40 million to roughly $60 million and represents about 12% of the Phase 1 $500 million program budget — consistent with industry standards for planning, engineering and environmental services. He recommended approval, and the committee moved the amendment to the Board with a positive recommendation.
Supervisors questioned the rationale for expanding the geographic scope, equity implications in coverage of southern waterfront neighborhoods, and funding strategies if the Army Corps study proceeds. Benson said the Army Corps scope allows for the 7.5‑mile study area and that the port would pay the local cost share partly through the contract amendment and in‑kind services.
The committee’s recommendation clears the amendment to be considered by the full Board; further public outreach and policy briefings on Army Corps results are expected in 2020.
