Saratoga News
News
Contractor wins award to start construction
By Chris Vongsarath
The future of the North Campus is still up in the air, but the city of Saratoga is making sure the property's usefulness is not wasted in the present.
Renovations and additions to the Fellowship Hall moved a step forward after the city council unanimously awarded a construction contract to CRW Industries, Inc. of Campbell for the project.
In recent years, the city has been meaning to improve the back two buildings of the North Campus, which includes the Fellowship Hall and administration building. Last summer, the city completed renovation of the administration building, which is now used for meetings, exercise classes and church events, among other things.
For the Fellowship Hall project, CRW Industries, Inc. was declared the lowest responsible bidder, with a base bid of about $361,000 and additional costs to be determined. The city learned the entire North Campus, and not just the two back buildings, had to be rewired, which also factored in the base bid.
As for the front buildings, the city is still accepting design concepts for that portion of the North Campus. Mayor Ann Waltonsmith said the council will make a decision on a project next month.
So far, a gymnasium and child development center project is the most developed proposal the city has.
Meanwhile, at the meeting, council members chose to go with an option that would include a kitchen and wooden flooring, bringing the total cost of the Fellowship Hall project to $844,114.
About $450,000 of the funding for the project comes from a special project fund set aside from last year's budget with another $205,000 coming from the capital improvement projects fund.
Furthermore, $149,000 for the project came from The House Family Foundation via the Saratoga Monte Sereno Community Foundation. There were some stipulations that came with that donation, which partly affected the council's decision.
For example, one of the key issues was maintenance on the hall, given all the additions. Council members discussed the makeup of the floor and considered going with the most durable material.
However, the donation from the foundation stated the flooring had to be wooden. Had the council chosen to go with a cheaper option such as vinyl flooring, it would have lost the $149,000 donation.
Council members seemed to all agree on using the donation, saying it would play an integral part in financing the project and building community at the North Campus.
Vice Mayor Chuck Page said the only thing missing from the renovations and additions was a more complete scope of the project.
He pointed to the assisted listening system to be installed in the hall that would help people who are hard of hearing. But without an included sound system, the city would have to consider installing another system in the future.
"There is a cost to do everything, and it's important that we plan for that upfront and not be surprised by anything," Page said.
Councilwoman Kathleen King said she was hesitant at the thought of spending close to $1 million combined on both projects.
"This is tough for me. We spent $300,000 on the administration building, and if we don't agree to spend the $700,000 here, then we don't get the donation," she said. "But the citizens want to keep the buildings, so I'm assuming they want to keep them useful as well."