Title
Authorization for Empowerment Center Improvements at 2845 NE 39th Avenue (B)
This item is a request for the City Commission to approve the Guaranteed Maximum Price of $585,525 with Charles Perry Partners, Incorporated for capital improvements at the Empowerment Center located at 2845 NE 39th Avenue.
Explanation
The City of Gainesville purchased the former Gainesville Correctional Institute (GCI) property in November 2013, in order to develop a full service Human Services campus providing a variety of public services for homeless/needy individuals and families in the community. The facility currently offers some meals, showers, laundry, and shelter services. Future services such as employment training, medical, case management, foster care, and others will be provided once fully operational.
On August 21, 2014, (Legistar # 130814) the City Commission approved the $300,000 grant award from the Florida Department of Children and Families for capital improvements and repairs at the Empowerment Center. The grant funds are meant to provide roofs and exterior painting to make ten (10) campus buildings ready for occupancy, and also to renovate the food service building and purchase adequate commercial equipment so that the building can be operational to serve regular meals to the homeless and hungry. On November 20, 2014 (Legistar #140469) the City Commission executed an agreement governing fixed capital outlay grants and aids for the Empowerment Center. All work will take twelve (12) weeks to complete and our goal is to have the kitchen ready for service by October 1, 2015.
It was recently discovered that the infrastructure in the kitchen section of the food service building was insufficient to simply have equipment installed and be able to function. In addition, it was necessary to obtain firm pricing for the entire scope of the project which includes exterior painting of 10 buildings, roof replacement for the 10 buildings, infrastructure improvements to ready the kitchen for use, and the purchase and installation of equipment to make the kitchen functional. Note: The roofing and paint will not make the 10 buildings habitable as they will still require extensive renovation to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing subsystems in all of the buildings. What the roofing and painting does accomplish is to protect and preserve these assets from additional exterior deterioration. Since the scope of this work at the Empowerment Center is beyond the capacity of the City’s Facilities Department, we reached out to a vendor to provide a proposal for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for all work referenced by the Department of Children and Families grant.
The Guaranteed Maximum Price proposal of $585,525 prepared by Charles Perry Partners, Incorporated, which includes information from local stakeholders for cost of architectural services for renovation and new commercial kitchen equipment for the existing food service building, new shingle roof replacements, and exterior painting for 10 campus buildings. On November 6, 2014, the City Commission approved the list of qualified firms for construction management at risk for minor projects; Charles Perry Partners, Incorporated was one of the qualified firms (Legistar #140415). This item is being brought to you today because the City's Purchasing Policy requires that any construction project exceeding $300,000 be approved by the City Commission.
Fiscal Note
Funds equaling the GMP of $585,525 are currently available from the Capital Improvement Revenue Bond (CIRB) Fund. In addition, the Florida Department of Children and Families grant is a reimbursement grant, which will reimburse $300,000 of the guaranteed maximum price, making the net cost of $285,525 from CIRB Bond Funds.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) approve the Guaranteed Maximum Price of the $585,525 proposal from Charles Perry Partners, Incorporated, for improvements to the Empowerment Center located at 2845 NE 39th Avenue; 2) authorize the City Manager or designee to issue a purchase order to Charles Perry Partners, Incorporated, not to exceed $585,525; and 3) authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary construction documents, subject to approval by the City Attorney as to form and legality.