Town Center Project Activity Blog

Atherton Town Center - Project Activity

Construction continues in earnest on both City Hall and the Library. Floors have been poured for the new City Hall - both 1st and 2nd floor. Work continues now on installation of the utility systems, roofing systems, and fire systems. On the Library, most of the work is dedicated to the new rammed earth walls. 

Live webcams for Library and City Hall/PD Building are active on the Town's website. There is also a project progress photo gallery. 

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Naming and Donation Opportunities

Construction funding for City Hall, Police Building and Site Improvements ($28.7 million) consists largely of donations and the Town's General Funds. To assist with cash flow during the project's construction timeline, the Town issued a Certificate of Participation (COP). COPs are a short-term funding tools for projects and are used mainly for large, multi-year infrastructure projects. The Town would like to retire this short-term debt sooner than it would be obligated to do so (10-years). To do so, additional donations toward the project would be required.  

Recently, the City Council mailed a Naming and Donation Opportunities letter to all Atherton residents - this is available online as well. The Council invites the community to become a part of Atherton's history by donating with a Naming Opportunity. The Council identified unique Naming Opportunities connected to the project - some of which have already been selected but there are plenty more opportunities! The City Council considers awards of naming opportunities at their regular meetings as donations are received. 

Donations will assist the Town in reducing or eliminating the need for a short-term COP to bridge the revenue flow gap during construction. The opportunities for naming have various ranges with the most significant being the ability to name a new road that will connect Fair Oaks Lane to Ashfield Road and run next to the new Town Center. 

It is very exciting to see this long-awaited new Town Center and Library come to life. The projected opening is Fall 2021, absent delay associated with COVID-19. For more details on naming opportunities and donations and how to enhance your current donation or become a part of history by making a new one, visit the donation website. 

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City Hall and Police Building

The image below is from today as interior utility work continues on the City Hall Building. The Building is taking clear shape.   


On the right of the image is the single-story Council Chambers portion of the Building. The Council Chambers also serves as the Town's Emergency Operations Center and connects directly to the Police Building. The second floor of the Police Building is set back from the first floor and includes the break room, training room, locker rooms and offices. The lower floor of the Police Building includes the briefing room, interview rooms, and evidence storage. 

Along the left side of the image on the lower floor is the lobby area and on the second floor is the walkway across the lobby to Community Development (Building, Planning and Public Works Offices). Administration is on the lower floor on the left. 

In the near portion of the image, you can see vehicles in the temporary Police Parking Lot. This area will eventually become the Civic Court of the new facility.  

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Below is a Site Plan for the full project. 

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Historic Town Hall

Most of the interior work of the Historic Town Hall building is further down in the project timeline. There is currently no activity on the Historic Town Hall.

This building will ultimately become a part of the new Library connected via a deck and french doors that spill out from the side of the building onto the new deck. 

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Library Building

The image below is from this week. Work this week focused on the forming of the new rammed earth walls for the Building.
  
 

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Site Work

Site work continues for utilities and other required site improvements. 

Here's a view of the new entrance to City Hall coming in off of Fair Oaks Lane. Administration Offices are on the right. The first floor will be Town Administration and the Post Office. The second floor is the Building, Planning, and Public Works Departments. The bottom and top floors on the left are the Police Department. Secure Parking Lot entry is off to the left of the main building. 

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The Look Ahead

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Project Financials

Payment Request	Period	Town Share	Library Share	Total
Payment Request #1	June 2019	$983,533	$538,622	$1,522,155
Payment Request #2	July 2019	$540,673	$587,037	$1,127,711
Payment Request #3	August 2019	$605,478	$972,754	$1,578,232
Payment Request #4	September 2019	$997,235	$638,317	$1,635,551
Payment Request #5	October 2019	$969,456	$252,633	$1,222,089
Payment Request #6	November 2019	$1,318,002	$341,692	$1,659,694
Payment Request #7	December 2019	$1,346,738	$555,978	$1,902,716
Payment Request #8	January 2020	$1,289,498	$480,925	$1,770,423
Payment Request #9	February 2020	$1,042,792	$342,867	$1,385,659
Payment Request #10	March 2020	$1,242,721	$440,645	$1,683,366
Payment Request #11	April 2020	$309,292	$248,412	$557,694
Payment Request #12	May 2020	$1,391,401	$713,524	$2,104,924
Totals		$12,036,809	$6,113,406	$18,150,215
Initial Project Bid		$28,701,034	$18,375,966	$47,077,000
Net Change Orders		$41,168	$73,803	$114,971
Updated Project Cost		$28,742,202	$18,449,769	$47,191,971
% Complete based on $		42%	33%	38%
Target Based on 25-Month Schedule				48%

At 38% completion, approved change orders for the project are at 0.24% - $114,971 of $47.1 million. 

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George Rodericks
City Manager
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us

Atherton Town Center - Project Activity

In mid-March, work on the Town Center Project ceased along with most other construction activity throughout the County due to the declaration of emergency under COVID-19. Projects were allowed to close-out and weatherize, but absent emergencies, projects were shut down for the undeterminable future of COVID-19.

The City Council and Builder's Roundtable Group (which included representatives from the Town Center Contractor S.J. Amoroso) worked to develop a set of guidelines under which all construction activity in the Town could resume. Once developed, these guidelines were to be used to assist private and public construction contractors in managing their project activity and workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The City Council was prepared to adopt the guidelines at their April 1, 2020 City Council meeting; but, on March 31, 2020, a new Shelter-in-Place order was issued that further restricted public and private activity and prevented the resumption of private construction projects through at least May 3, 2020.

The March 31, 2020 Order did provide an opportunity for the continuation of public infrastructure projects and at their April 8, 2020 City Council meeting, the Council was able to make the determination that portions of the Town Center Project were essential and could continue limited construction activity. However, the only work deemed essential under the Order related to the City Hall and Police Building. This is where the contractor has been focusing their limited work effort since resumption of activity on April 9, 2020.  

As a result of COVID-19, there will be delays and costs related to the project's completion that have not yet been fully identified. 

Live webcams for Library and City Hall/PD Building are active on the Town's website. There is also a project progress photo gallery. 

---

Naming and Donation Opportunities

Construction funding for City Hall, Police Building and Site Improvements ($28.7 million) consists largely of donations and the Town's General Funds. To assist with cash flow during the project's construction timeline, the Town will be issuing a Certificate of Participation (COP). A COP is a short-term funding tool Project used mainly for large, multi-year infrastructure projects. The Town would like to retire this short-term debt sooner than it would be obligated to do so (10-years); alternatively, the Town would like to reduce the total amount of required debt. To do so, additional donations toward the project would be required.  

Recently, the City Council mailed a Naming and Donation Opportunities letter to all Atherton residents - this is available online as well. The Council invites the community to become a part of Atherton's history by donating with a Naming Opportunity. The Council identified 20 unique Naming Opportunities connected to the project - some of which have already been selected but there are plenty more opportunities! The City Council will be considering award of the already selected naming opportunities at their May 20 Regular Meeting.

Donations will assist the Town in reducing or eliminating the need for a short-term COP to bridge the revenue flow gap during construction. The opportunities for naming have various ranges with the most significant being the ability to name a new road that will connect Fair Oaks Lane to Ashfield Road and run next to the new Town Center. 

It is very exciting to see this long-awaited new Town Center and Library come to life. The projected opening is Fall 2021, absent delay associated with COVID-19. For more details on naming opportunities and donations and how to enhance your current donation or become a part of history by making a new one, visit the donation website. 

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City Hall and Police Building

The photo to the right is an image from February looking across the City Hall and Police Building toward the location for the new Police Ancillary Building in their Secure Parking Lot - toward Caltrain.

The image below is from today as steel work continues on the City Hall Building. The City Hall and Police Building(s) and necessary site work are the only areas where work is presently allowed to continue at this time under COVID-19. The Building is taking clear shape.   


On the right of the image is the single-story Council Chambers portion of the Building. The Council Chambers also serves as the Town's Emergency Operations Center and connects directly to the Police Building. The second floor of the Police Building is set back from the first floor and includes the break room, training room, locker rooms and offices. The lower floor of the Police Building includes the briefing room, interview rooms, and evidence storage. 

Along the left side of the image on the lower floor is the lobby area and on the second floor is the walkway across the lobby to Community Development (Building, Planning and Public Works Offices). Administration is on the lower floor on the left. 

In the near portion of the image, you can see vehicles in the temporary Police Parking Lot. This area will eventually become the Civic Court of the new facility.  

---

Below is a Site Plan for the full project. 

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Historic Town Hall

Most of the interior work of the Historic Town Hall building is further down in the project timeline. There is currently no activity on the Historic Town Hall due to COVID-19.

This building will ultimately become a part of the new Library connected via a deck and french doors that spill out from the side of the building onto the new deck. 

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Library Building

Construction activity on the Library portion of the project has had to halt under COVID-19 as Library services and activities were deemed non-essential under the County's March 31, 2020 Shelter-in-Place Order.

The image to the right is from April 27. Work will resume on the Library once the Shelter-in-Place Order is lifted for construction activity.

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Site Work

Site work continues only for those areas deemed essential. This includes utilities and other required site improvements. 

Here's a view of the new entrance to City Hall coming in off of Fair Oaks Lane. Administration Offices are on the right. The first floor will be Town Administration and the Post Office. The second floor is the Building, Planning, and Public Works Departments. The bottom and top floors on the left are the Police Department. Secure Parking Lot entry is off to the left of the main building. 

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The Look Ahead

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Project Financials

Payment Request	Period	Town Share	Library Share	Total
Payment Request #1	June 2019	$983,533	$538,622	$1,522,155
Payment Request #2	July 2019	$540,673	$587,037	$1,127,711
Payment Request #3	August 2019	$605,478	$972,754	$1,578,232
Payment Request #4	September 2019	$997,235	$638,317	$1,635,551
Payment Request #5	October 2019	$969,456	$252,633	$1,222,089
Payment Request #6	November 2019	$1,318,002	$341,692	$1,659,694
Payment Request #7	December 2019	$1,346,738	$555,978	$1,902,716
Payment Request #8	January 2020	$1,289,498	$480,925	$1,770,423
Payment Request #9	February 2020	$1,042,792	$342,867	$1,385,659
Payment Request #10	March 2020	$1,242,721	$440,645	$1,683,366
Totals		$10,336,126	$5,151,470	$15,487,597
Initial Project Bid		$28,701,034	$18,375,966	$47,077,000
Net Change Orders		$19,748	$73,803	$93,551
Updated Project Cost		$28,720,782	$18,449,769	$47,170,551
% Complete based on $		36%	28%	33%
Target Based on 25-Month Schedule				40%

At 33% completion, approved change orders for the project are at 0.2% - $93,551 of $47.1 million. 

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George Rodericks
City Manager
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us

Atherton Town Center - Project Activity

Steel!

Work continues with a focus on the City Hall Building as steel is erected and the structure begins to go vertical. Work continues on the Rammed Earth Wall mock-up to test its design and constructibility. Electrical and mechanical work continues in the under slab of the Library Building. The Police Department Ancillary Building gets ledgers for decking. Communication conduits are run throughout the site. 

Live webcams for Library and City Hall/PD Building are active on the Town's website. There is also a project progress photo gallery. 

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Naming and Donation Opportunities

The City Council recently sent a Naming and Donation Opportunities letter to all Atherton residents. The letter should be mailed early next week. The Council invites the community to become a part of Atherton's history. The new Town Center Project is by far the largest undertaking in the Town's 97-year history and as you can see below it is well underway! The Council identified 20 unique Naming Opportunities connected to the project. Donations would assist the Town in reducing or eliminating the need for short-term financing to bridge the revenue flow gap during construction. The opportunities for naming have various ranges with the most significant being the ability to name the new road that will connect Fair Oaks Lane to Ashfield Road and run next to the new Town Center. 

It is very exciting to see this long-awaited new Town Center and Library come to life. The projected opening is Fall 2021. For more details on naming opportunities and donations and how to enhance your current donation or become a part of history by making a new one, visit the donation website. 

---

City Hall and Police Building

The photo to the right is an image from January looking across the City Hall and Police Building toward the location for the new Police Ancillary Building in their Secure Parking Lot - toward Caltrain.

The single-story, concrete masonry unit (CMU) building will be used to store:

• Stolen Evidence/Vehicles
• Property Storage
• Fleet Maintenance
• Police Motorcycles
• Special Operations/Emergency Equipment
• Emergency Generator & Power Equipment

The image to the right is from today as steel work continues on the City Hall Building. A construction crane pulls the steel up and around the building as crews set it to build the frame of the building. The contractor has been authorized to request work variances for hours in order to move the steel work forward quickly. A work variance has been approved for Saturday, February 29 to work from 9 am to 5 pm. Ingress and egress for Saturday is restricted to Fair Oaks Lane. The contractor will be providing neighborhood notices. Work is limited to steel installation.


 

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Below is a Site Plan for the full project. 

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Historic Town Hall

Most of the interior work of the Historic Town Hall building is further down in the project timeline. Currently the contractor is removing exterior plaster around the windows for new window installation and demolishing the interior subfloors an walls. 

Work is also being prepared to seismically retrofit the building. 

This building will ultimately become a part of the new Library connected via a deck and french doors that spill out from the side of the building onto the new deck. 

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Library Building

Most of the work this week the under slab electrical and rammed earth wall mock-up. Work will continue on the communication conduits for the building and move into the under slab foam and underfloor electrical.
  
Rammed earth walls provide better thermal protection by absorbing or slowing down the passage of heat through the material. On average, a rammed earth wall will help regulate the building's interior temperatures improving its energy performance. In addition, the rammed earth wall will have sound reverberation characteristics that will improve sound insulation from passing trains.

The image below is the similar view from February 2020. Most of the current work is focused on the City Hall Building.

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Site Work

Site work this week finished up connections for storm drains and water lines. 

Here's a view of the new entrance to City Hall coming in off of Fair Oaks Lane. Administration Offices are on the right. The first floor will be Town Administration and the Post Office. The second floor is the Building, Planning, and Public Works Departments. The bottom and top floors on the left are the Police Department. Secure Parking Lot entry is off to the left of the main building. 

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The Look Ahead

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Project Financials

Payment Request	Period	Town Share	Library Share	Total
Payment Request #1	June 2019	$983,533	$538,622	$1,522,155
Payment Request #2	July 2019	$540,673	$587,037	$1,127,711
Payment Request #3	August 2019	$605,478	$972,754	$1,578,232
Payment Request #4	September 2019	$997,235	$638,317	$1,635,551
Payment Request #5	October 2019	$969,456	$252,633	$1,222,089
Payment Request #6	November 2019	$1,318,002	$341,692	$1,659,694
Payment Request #7	December 2019	$1,346,738	$555,978	$1,902,716
Payment Request #8	January 2020	$1,289,498	$480,925	$1,770,423
Totals		$8,050,613	$4,367,958	$12,418,572
Initial Project Bid		$28,701,034	$18,375,966	$47,077,000
Net Change Orders		$41,532	$73,410	$114,952
Updated Project Cost		$28,742,566	$18,449,376	$47,191,942
% Complete based on $		28%	24%	26%
Target Based on 25-Month Schedule				32%

At 26% completion, change orders for the project are at 0.2% - $114,952 of $47.1 million. 

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George Rodericks
City Manager
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us