Title
Historic Depot Building Rehabilitation - West Construction, Inc. Contract Change Order (B)
This item involves a request for the City Commission to approve West Construction, Inc. as a Specified Source to construct the "Context Area" in order to utilize HUD EDI funds prior to expiration on July 31, 2012 and to approve a contract change order address unforeseen conditions in the Depot Building Rehabilitation project.
Explanation
The Historic Gainesville Depot Building Rehabilitation project includes the restoration, rehabilitation, and installation of utilities to a 10,200 sq ft wood frame building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is to comply with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and to become a model of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and sustainability. The project is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Originally constructed in 1860, with significant additions in 1910, the Gainesville Depot is an important resource that reflects the history of the railroad as it relates to Florida's growth in general and Gainesville in particular. Once completed, the building will frame the main entrance and become and important amenity for future Depot Park and downtown Gainesville.
On June 2, 2011 the City Commission approved the award of the Depot Building Phase I construction to West Construction, Inc. The scope of West Construction's contract for Phase I included the stabilization and restoration of the building's core and shell as well as the installation of modern features and utilities to serve the building. Phase II of the Depot Building project includes the construction of the site surrounding the Depot Building (a.k.a. "Context Area") and was originally not included in West Construction's contract due to the City's pending remediation action plan and removal of arsenic contaminated soil within the landscape.
Construction of the Context Area, located at the northern portion of the Depot Park site, is a requirement by the State Department of Historic Resources (DHR) due to the building's relocation approximately 28-feet south of its previous location from the widening and re-alignment of Depot Avenue. As a condition of the relocation, the DHR required that the site planning surrounding the building reflect the original context and preserve the linear character of the trackside corridor. The design for the context area was approved by the City Commission on May 20, 2010, the DHR on June 29, 2010, and the Development Review Board on September 2, 2010.
On November 3, 2011 the City Commission approved the funding of a portion of the arsenic remediation using Stormwater Management Utility Fund monies. On December 8, 2011 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved the City's submitted Remediation Action Plan. Then, on December 15, 2011 the City Commission adopted the staff recommendation to fund the remaining balance of the remediation of the Depot Park site through the issuance of the City of Gainesville Revenue Note, Series 2011.
During January 2012 the City's Public Works Department (PWD) issued at Notice to Proceed to Environmental Consulting & Technology, Inc. (ECT) to begin the remediation work. The schedule for the remediation includes addressing contamination within the Context Area and is scheduled to be complete March 2012, thus allowing the Context Area to be available for construction.
West Construction Inc. has submitted a price proposal for the construction of the Context Area per the approved plans at the request of the City/CRA. A portion of the construction will be funded from a HUD EDI grant which is to expire July 31, 2012 (all grant extensions have been exhausted). Utilizing West Construction as a specified source contract for the construction of the context area will utilize the HUD EDI funds prior to expiration, complete the Depot Building Phase I project meeting all the requirements set forth by DHR, allow the completion of the LEED documentation process for Gold Certification by the USGBC, allow the City to begin solicitations for tenant occupancy, and complete Depot Park Phase I. West Construction is being recommended as a specified source contractor due to their intimate knowledge of the project and site conditions, meeting pre-qualification criteria for their experience with the LEED and historic requirements for the project, savings on mobilization costs, being integrated with the current design and LEED teams for the project, and overlap of the context area construction with the current scope of work for the Depot Building rehabilitation.
West Construction, Inc. also has submitted price proposals for unforeseen conditions encountered during the rehabilitation of the building. These unforeseen conditions include structural reinforcing needed in the ceiling beams of the roof structure, additional piping needed for the fire suppression system to meet GRU standards and occupational hazards expected for tenant uses, demolition and wood flooring repair/installation in the 1860 Passenger Depot, and the installation of a door and vestibule in the Freight Depot to meet City Building Code requirements for fire escape.
The recommended amount for the construction of the context area utilizing West Construction as a specified source contractor is $749,980.34. The recommended amount for the West Construction contract change order to address unforeseen conditions is $109,418.05. A contract time extension is also requested for a final completion date of September 30, 2012.
Fiscal Note
Funding for the West Construction proposals is available in the Depot Building project budget through previous allocations from HUD EDI (expires July 31, 2011) and Wild Spaces Public Places. For informational purposes, the CRA-Downtown has also allocated funds towards the Depot Building project.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) Approve the Second Amendment to the Agreement for Historic Gainesville Depot Rehabilitation for Change Order No. 1 for an increase of $109,418.05 with a final completion date of September 30, 2012, 2) approve the Third Amendment to the Agreement for Historic Gainesville Depot Rehabilitation to include West Construction as the specified source contractor for Phase II context area construction for $749,980.34, and 3) authorize the City Manager to execute the contract amendments, change order, specified source and all related documents subject to approval by the City Attorney as to form and legality.