Garden Grove awards Gensler $250,000 contract for Little Saigon design guidelines
Summary
The Garden Grove City Council approved a $250,000 Jobs First grant-funded contract with Gensler to create architectural and urban design guidelines for Little Saigon, emphasizing community engagement with Vietnamese-American business owners and residents.
The Garden Grove City Council on Jan. 13 approved a contract to hire Gensler to develop architectural and urban design guidelines for the city's Little Saigon district using $250,000 in state Jobs First grant funds.
Assistant City Manager Ursula Luna Reynoso told the council the city ran a competitive request for proposals; four qualified firms bid and a review panel gave Gensler the highest score. The scope is time-sensitive: the award must be spent by September or the state may reclaim unspent funds. Staff noted the contract includes 886 hours of work and a requirement for rapid turnaround on tasks.
Council members questioned how the Vietnamese-American business community would be engaged. Luna Reynoso said community outreach is a central task for all firms under the scope, and that the guidelines will be recommendations rather than mandatory zoning rules. "It's really for them to engage in that process ... to solicit exactly that feedback," she said.
Council discussion also touched on regional coordination: staff said Westminster had pursued a related blueprint separately and that the city had invited neighboring jurisdictions to collaborate. Council members asked staff to ensure Vietnamese-language outreach and representation of local business experience among consultants.
The motion to award the contract carried on a 7-0 vote.
Next steps: staff will finalize the professional-services agreement and work with Gensler on the public-engagement schedule required by the grant timeline.
