San Rafael council authorizes progressive design'build approach and PLA talks for $105M Measure P library project
Loading...
Summary
Councilors directed staff to pursue a progressive design'build procurement and begin project labor agreement negotiations for a proposed 50,000'sq'ft Measure P library and community center with a program target budget of $105,000,000; labor representatives urged inclusion in PLA talks and staff said local hiring goals can be included.
San Rafael's City Council on April 6 authorized staff to pursue a progressive design'build delivery method and to initiate negotiations on a project labor agreement (PLA) for the Measure P-funded new main library and community center project.
Staff and consultants described a programmatic target of a 50,000 square'foot shared building with about 32,000 square feet of outdoor program space and a program'level target budget of $105,000,000, which the team called a preliminary estimate to be validated during preconstruction. "Through the work we've done heretofore, at this point, we've derived a target budget, which is a $105,000,000," Griffin Structures' Gary Chubb said.
City staff recommended a progressive design'build approach — sometimes called alternative design build — because it allows continuous cost alignment during design, earlier contractor input and an "open book" guarantee of maximum price later in the process. Staff also recommended satisfying the state's "skilled and trained workforce" requirement through a negotiated PLA rather than monthly enforceable reporting by the contractor.
"The project labor agreement itself can also include some local hire provisions," City Attorney'team counsel said, noting it can open the building trades hiring hall to Marin residents and include apprentice targets. Labor representatives from the Carpenters'union urged that their organizations be included from the start. Dan McCullough of the Carpenters' union told council, "Should you all choose to go with option b and direct staff to negotiate a PLA, please include in your direction to staff, include the carpenters union as an equal party as our own representatives to the PLA."
Council members asked for clarity about schedule, cost controls and risk allocation. Staff said the overall project schedule is typical for work of this scale (about 62 months from approval to move'in under current assumptions) with roughly 26'27 months of construction, and that the progressive delivery method can shorten schedule compared with traditional design'bid'build. Staff also described contingency planning and an open'book process for shared contingency decisions.
The council motion, made by Vice Mayor Rachel Kurtz and seconded by Mayor Kate, directed staff to proceed with a progressive design'build procurement and to start PLA negotiations with the North Bay Building and Construction Trades Council and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council. The motion passed 3'0to'0.
Next steps include preparing the RFP (targeted for release in mid'June), soliciting preconstruction feedback from design'build teams, negotiating a PLA, and returning to the subcommittee and full council for final approvals of any agreements and a guaranteed maximum price.
The council and staff emphasized that the $105 million figure is a program'level target to be refined through the selection and preconstruction process and that staff will provide regular budget validations and updates to council as the project progresses.
