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Committee advances $17.2 million increase for design of San Francisco public safety building
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee voted to forward a resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to amend its architect/engineer agreement for a new public safety building, increasing the not-to-exceed fee from about $4.0 million to $17.205 million. Committee members pressed DPW on security-driven scope increases and contingency use.
The Board of Supervisors’ Budget & Finance Committee on Tuesday advanced a resolution authorizing the Department of Public Works to amend the architect/engineer agreement for a new public safety building and increase the not-to-exceed contract amount from $3,997,600 to $17,205,152.
Charles Egeris, project manager with the Department of Public Works, told the committee that the firm HOK was selected through a competitive process and has been working under an interim agreement to develop schematic design and a reliable project cost estimate. Egeris said the total fee includes services already performed plus a contingency for potential changes and that nearly 47.3% of the basic $15.9 million service fee will go to local business enterprises (LBEs).
Budget analyst Harvey Rose told the committee the contract was originally awarded for roughly $1.14 million and had been increased previously to about $3.95 million. An RFP earlier estimated a negotiated price of about $13 million; the analyst noted the jump to $17 million is explained in the committee report and recommended amending the resolution to correct amounts and to add a termination date through Dec. 31, 2014.
Supervisors pressed DPW on why the project’s security design requirements grew. Egeris said a change in police administration and a subsequent review by a national security consultant produced enhanced criteria for structural, mechanical and systems work intended to protect occupants against high-risk threats. He said the enhancements led to corresponding increases in building systems and costs but reflected a policy choice to prioritize occupant safety.
Committee members also asked how the added security and the project’s contingency would affect the broader earthquake safety bond program. DPW staff said the $31 million cited is the total bond contingency for the bond program and the project-level contingency is intended for construction-time unknowns, market spikes in labor or materials, and design changes.
After brief public comment, the committee accepted the budget analyst’s recommendations and voted to forward the amended resolution to the full Board with the committee’s recommendation.
The resolution will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda for final action.
