Architecture Firms Will Submit Civic Center Proposals To City
'If we could have it all, what would we have?'
Firms to prepare six plans
By Kara Chalmers
On July 19, the Saratoga City Council gave its approval, with minor changes, to a request for proposals form, or RFP, that the city will send to architecture firms interested in designing a new Civic Center complex.
The project, called the Civic Center Master Plan project, started out as a renovation of the city's community and senior centers on Allendale Avenue, the cost of which would be paid in part by the city's park development fund.
But over the past eight or so months, the council transformed the project into something much larger and more meaningful. The council wants to look at a master plan, a long-term vision, which might even entail demolishing and rebuilding the entire Civic Center complex, of which the community and senior centers are a part. The 8.3-acre complex also includes the Civic Theater, City Hall, a corporation yard and parking for 418 cars.
"I'd like to see what is out there in terms of a possible better use of the space," said Mayor Stan Bogosian at the council meeting on July 19. "If you leveled this entire complex here including the corp yard, everything the city owns this side of the creek, in theory, how would you best make use of the space to most efficiently deliver the services to the people of the city? I would like to see some level of pressure on these guys to come up with something."
Council members have yet to discuss how the city would finance the project. According to the city's director of administrative services, Mary Jo Walker, the council has not broached the subject. She said there are many ways to finance such a project, but it is still too early to tell.
Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith cautioned other council members to not get bogged down in practical details yet, before the council has had a chance to see what is even possible for a master plan.
Bogosian said the reiterated the comment.
"My feeling from the start on this has been to ask for a very open perspective, and not severely limit this," Bogosian said. "If we could have it all, what would we have?"
In approving the RFP, the council amended the fiscal year 2000-2001 budget, which it passed on June 21, to include an extra $30,000 to pay the chosen architectural firm for the design work. The $30,000 will come from the city's general fund.
According to the RFP, the city wants the architecture firms to develop site layout plans only, not conceptual drawings or building designs, and the firms are to give construction cost ranges.
The RFP directs the firms to prepare site plans for two options, so that the firms will have direction but the council will also have flexibility, in that it will be able to blend parts of different options together. The firms are to come up with two alternative plans for option one and four alternative plans for option two.
The first option calls for demolishing the entire Civic Center complex and then rebuilding it. The new complex would include brand new Community and Senior Centers, a new City Hall and a new Civic Theater. It would also include a gymnasium, playfields, and City Council chambers, which would be incorporated into either the Community Center or City Hall. The council currently uses the theater for its chambers.
If the city decides to undertake option one, it may have to move the corporation yard. The RFP does not require firms to explain where the city could move it.
The second option calls for four different site plans. Each of the four plans is to include Community and Senior Centers, a Civic Theater, a City Hall and one or two of the following: a gymnasium, playfields, City Council chambers or a corporation yard. The RFP also states that while City Hall functions adequately at its current size, if a new one is built, it is to be larger.
While there is no question that the 30-year-old Community Center and the Senior Center need to be renovated and expanded, it will be up to the council to decide what other changes to make, if any, to the complex. The RFP gives guidelines for any other changes.
For example, the proposed gymnasium, which does not currently exist at the complex, should be large enough to fit two full-size basketball courts, a lobby, a small office, storage rooms and restrooms. One or two regulation size playing fields, for soccer or other sports, which also do not exist at the complex today, may be considered as well.
The architecture firms will present plans to the council when they are halfway done and still in rough draft. They will make second presentations when the plans are final. This way, the council can ask the firms to change direction at the halfway point.
The council decided on July 19, to clarify in the RFP that the halfway mark would be when firms should let the council know if they believe any of the facilities should be left out of the plans.
City staff will distribute the RFPs to firms on August 10, or earlier. The proposals are scheduled to be back to the city on September 15, and the city plans to select a firm and issue the contract, so that the firm could begin work in October. However, the process may move quicker, Walker said.
The council first discussed the RFP on July 5, but directed city staff to come back with changes.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
