Committee advances sole‑source design contract for Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee on April 2 advanced an ordinance authorizing the Recreation and Park Department to enter a sole‑source professional services agreement with Adeline Darling Design to complete design development and preliminary construction documents for the historic Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse.

Supervisor Don Avalos, sponsor of the item, told the committee that Adeline Darling Design has already produced schematic designs and helped secure historic‑preservation approvals, and that switching architects now could jeopardize pending tax‑credit and grant opportunities. Avalos said the firm's prior work and the tight schedule for 2015 funding made a competitive solicitation impractical.

Rec & Park staff and budget analysts described the proposed contract as approximately $837,863 for completion of 100% design development documents and 50% construction documents, with the department seeking authority to amend the contract up to $1.3 million to finish final construction documents contingent on gifts received. The department said final construction documents will additionally require about $475,000 to be raised by the Friends of the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse.

Nicole Averill of the Recreation and Park Department outlined the project's proposed uses: the PowerHouse Arts Project for youth job training in culinary, media, design and production; a 99‑seat black box theater; gallery and exhibition space; community meeting rooms; classroom and rehearsal spaces; and mission‑minded retail. She said the rehabilitation would create roughly 20,000 square feet of usable space, include seismic upgrades, modern utilities, accessibility improvements and target LEED Gold.

Budget and legislative analyst Mr. Rose told the committee that while $838,000 from the 2000 Neighborhood Park general obligation bond is identified for the project, there is no guarantee the Friends will raise the roughly $475,000 needed by November 2014 or that the subsequently anticipated federal and private funds would be realized. The analyst recommended amending the ordinance as described and treating approval as a policy decision for the full board.

Tim Worth, executive director for the Friends of the Geneva Car Barn and Powerhouse, urged committee support, saying advancing the design work makes the project shovel‑ready for tax credits and private fundraising. Averill and Worth noted Adeline Darling Design's earlier pro bono contributions of more than $200,000 to the project.

Deputy City Attorney John Givner recommended clarifying language that would allow Rec & Park to amend the contract only if the amendment does not require additional city funds beyond gifts received; the committee accepted the drafting change and other amendments as a single motion without objection.

The committee combined the member‑of‑the‑whole amendment, the analyst's amendment, and the attorney's drafting language and took the motion to send the item forward as amended without objection; no roll‑call vote or formal tally was recorded at the committee.

Next steps: the ordinance, as amended, will move to the full Board of Supervisors (appearing on the April 8 agenda unless otherwise stated). The Rec & Park Commission will also consider related lease/disposition and development agreements in May, and the Friends will continue capital fundraising.