Public Works OKs preconstruction work for new SFFD training campus; Swinerton selected

The San Francisco Public Works Commission on March 27 unanimously approved a contract to begin preconstruction services with Swinerton Builders for the San Francisco Fire Department's new Division of Training campus, a project staff said is needed to consolidate training and replace aging facilities.

Public Works project manager Scott Moran and Assistant Deputy Chief Gareth Miller outlined the plan during the commission's regular meeting, saying the eight‑acre Bayview site will consolidate multiple training functions that currently are split across the city and that the department expects to vacate Treasure Island by 2028. "It's difficult to overstate the importance of our division of training and the challenge of meeting the training needs of our over 1,500 personnel," Miller said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Staff said the consolidated campus will allow SFFD to run simultaneous, controlled training evolutions that are essential for recruits and continuing education, reduce reliance on ad‑hoc off‑site training, and provide a backup operations center in a citywide emergency. The commission emphasized urgency because the Treasure Island facility is being redeveloped.

Budget, risks and procurement: Moran described the fire program budget framework that staff presented: a total fire allocation of about $275,000,000, with the land purchase described as $39,000,000, project controls (design/consultants/staff) at $54,000,000, a target construction budget of $145,000,000, $3,000,000 for public art, a $30,000,000 contingency/reserve, and roughly $4,000,000 in bond financing costs. Moran flagged site risks including landfill over bay mud, potential subsurface contamination and power‑distribution costs; he said deep pile foundations, retaining walls and monitoring will be part of mitigation.

On procurement, staff described a value‑based CMGC (construction manager/general contractor) selection process: an RFQ/P issued Nov. 25, proposals received Jan. 14, oral interviews Feb. 11, and Swinerton Builders ranked highest and was recommended to the commission to provide preconstruction services. Moran said the CMGC approach brings contractor expertise into design to improve constructability and cost certainty.

CEQA and schedule: Staff reminded the commission that construction cannot begin until CEQA is complete. They said a final mitigated negative declaration was adopted in 2021 and that an updated CEQA addendum (draft) would be circulated shortly; staff anticipated returning in late spring or early summer with a request for the construction notice to proceed if CEQA review is complete. Moran said staff aims to begin substantial construction in October and complete the facility by 2028.

Commission action and next steps: Commissioner Gerald Turner moved to authorize the preconstruction notice to proceed; the motion was seconded in the record and carried unanimously. The commission directed staff to return with the CEQA addendum and the request for formal construction authorization; staff said the contract and resolution will be posted to the commission's website.

What remains open: Staff will provide the CEQA addendum for review; the CMGC will refine estimates during preconstruction, including foundation approaches and contingency use. Public Works and SFFD will continue coordination with neighboring projects, PG&E and SFPUC to manage utilities and subsurface constraints.