Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Thompson General Construction Doing Business As Rubicon Builders to Perform Upgrades to the Exterior Security of Alameda Point Building 17, Located at 700 W. Essex Drive, in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $198,450, Including Contingency.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). (Base Reuse and Economic Development 29061822)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City) issued a competitive bid for the Building 17 Board Up Project, BRED No. 2025-07, on August 1, 2025. The project aims to improve safety, security, and preserve the structure. Staff recommends City Council award the proposed construction agreement to Thompson General Construction DBA Rubicon Builders in an amount not-to-exceed $198,450, including contingency (Exhibit 1).
BACKGROUND
Alameda Unified School District (District) acquired in fee certain real property (Property) and buildings located at Alameda Point under a joint settlement agreement executed in 2014 between the City, Alameda Housing Authority and District. As part of this settlement agreement, the City provided certain limited exterior property management services for a fixed period of ten years. City Council approved a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with the District on May 6, 2025. The MOU extended the City’s duty to provide limited property management services on the Property by another ten (10) years. There are a number of vacant buildings located on the Property, including the largest, known as Building 17, located at 700 W. Essex Drive.
Building 17, the former Bachelor Officer’s Quarters, is a two-story structure with approximately 144,133 square feet of interior space. The existing building conditions present a very pressing concern for the District and City. Vandals have stripped the electrical wiring and much of the plumbing infrastructure from the building, broken windows, set fires, graffitied and left detritus and human debris throughout the interior of the structure. The District and City agree that improvements to the exterior security decrease the need for Firefighters, Police, and other public service persons to enter the structure.
In addition to extending the limited property management services by another ten (10) years, the MOU allowed the City to implement certain one-time security improvements at Building 17 and provided a mechanism for the District to compensate the City over time to pay for these improvements. Building 17 is identified as a Contributing building in the Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda Historic District, therefore efforts to secure the structure against further acts of vandalism and trespassing will better preserve the structure until such time as the District can dispose of or develop the property.
To ensure the exterior security improvements remain in compliance with the Secretary of Interior’s’ Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, staff worked with historic preservation consultant Page & Turnbull to develop the scope of the work (Exhibit 2). The scope is designed to minimize any adverse change to the significance of the historic resource. To deter trespassers and vandals and preserve the structure, the project includes:
- Installation of elevated solar-powered motion-activated floodlights;
- Removal and replacement of existing plywood with new, painted plywood, on all first floor openings;
- Repair of chain link enclosures at door openings; and
- 24-hour security during the board up and securing of the structure.
DISCUSSION
On August 1, 2025, Base Reuse and Economic Development (BRED) staff issued a competitive Invitation for Bid (IFB) to perform exterior security improvements to Building 17.
To solicit the maximum number of proposals and competitive pricing, the project manual and specifications were provided to 17 separate builders’ exchanges throughout the Bay Area. Notices were placed on the City’s website and published in the Alameda Journal on August 1 and August 8, 2025. BRED staff hosted a mandatory pre-proposal meeting and site walk on August 11, 2025, with ten (10) prospective bidders in attendance. Bids were opened on August 18, 2025. After a bidding period of 24 days, five (5) contractors submitted bids. The bid result is as follows:
|
Bidder |
Location |
Base Bid |
|
Pridex Construction Group, Inc |
Folsom, CA |
$108,000 |
|
Thompson General Construction DBA Rubicon Builders |
Sonoma, CA |
$189,000 |
|
Pinguelo Construction |
Fairfield, CA |
$200,000 |
|
VisionBuild Construction LLC |
Citrus Heights, CA |
$267,000 |
|
SDM Construction |
Concord, CA |
$318,500 |
Pridex Construction Group, LLC submitted a non-responsive bid by failing to provide a demonstrated history of successful project completion of a similar character or give references which would enable the City Council to judge its responsibility, experience, skill, and business standing.
Staff recommends awarding an agreement to Thompson General Construction DBA Rubicon Builders for an amount not-to-exceed $189,000 with a 5% contingency amount of $9,450, for a total not-to-exceed $198,450. The contractor is not guaranteed any of the contingency amount and use of the contingency will be at the sole discretion of the City for work not originally anticipated in the plans and specifications. The specifications also informed the successful bidder that it shall pay not less than the prevailing rate of per diem as determined by the Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations.
ALTERNATIVES
- Award the Agreement as presented.
- Direct the City Manager to execute Agreement for an alternate amount or scope.
- Reject all bids and do not award the Agreement. This action would result in a delay in the project timeline and may likely increase overall project costs, while exacerbating security issues with Building 17.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funds for this project are budgeted in the Base Reuse and Economic Development budget (2906122) in Fiscal Year 2025-26 up to $200,000 and have no impact on the General Fund. Per the MOU, if the project budget exceeds this amount, the City shall not be obligated to carry out this project on behalf of the District unless the District agrees to provide additional reimbursement funding via a subsequent amendment to the MOU. The District has agreed to reimburse the City the estimated $200,000 for this project under the terms of the approved MOU, as summarized below:
- The initial 50% will be paid through yearly installments split evenly over a five-year period beginning on the date that a notice of completion for the project is issued by the City to the District.
- The remaining balance of 50% is payable to the City in a lump sum at such time that the District is able to sell, transfer or otherwise convey the Property or at the termination of the MOU in April 2035, whichever occurs first.
- The District’s obligation to reimburse the City the balance shall not be transferred to a third party through sale, transfer, lease, rental, conveyance or any other disposition of the Property.
- The City will not charge any additional fees or interest.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
This project supports the City Strategic Plan priority to Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities & Historic Resources TIE35 – Protect Historic Resources.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities).
CLIMATE IMPACT
There are no identifiable climate impacts or climate action opportunities associated with the subject of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Thompson General Construction DBA Rubicon Builders to perform upgrades to exterior security of Alameda Point Building 17, located at 700 W. Essex Drive, in an amount not-to-exceed $198,450, including contingency.
Respectfully submitted,
Abigail Thorne-Lyman
By,
Annie Cox, Administrative Management Analyst
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Agreement
2. Page & Turnbull Report