MEETING DATE:
February 24, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-9548 - CONTRACT FOR PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL CITY HALL COMMON AREA DRAWINGS
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT a resolution awarding a contract for preliminary conceptual architectural drawings related to common area improvements at 1 Civic Center Drive (City Hall) and delegating authority to the City Manager to negotiate, finalize, and execute the contract with Safdie Rabines Architects.
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not Applicable
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Good Governance
Relevant Department Goal
Not Applicable
Executive Summary
The City of San Marcos owns and operates the Civic Center complex, including the City Hall Building (addressed as 1 Civic Center Drive), of which more than half of the interior square footage is leased to commercial tenants. To address aging infrastructure and accessibility concerns, maintain the building’s Class A office status, and improve wayfinding in the common areas, updates to tenant common areas are required. These areas include the lobby, public restrooms, shared break area and patio on the third floor, hallways, and elevator lobbies.
Staff recommends awarding a contract to Safdie Rabines Architects in an amount not-to-exceed $310,000 to prepare preliminary conceptual drawings for the above-referenced work. The costs associated with this contract are included in the FY 2025-26 budget in fund 605, and award of the contract results in no change to the budget.
Discussion
The City operates a real estate portfolio as part of the fulfillment of Section 203 of the San Marcos Charter, which emphasizes enterprise activities designed to produce non-tax revenue sources. The City leases out portions of floors 1 and 2, and the entirety of floors 3 and 4 of the City Hall building, the proceeds from which contributes revenue towards the City’s General Fund each year. As a commercial real estate owner, the City is required to maintain the buildings and common spaces utilized by tenants and customers for safety, aesthetic, and legal/regulatory purposes.
IDS Real Estate, as the City’s real property management consultant, will be assisting with work on the building’s common spaces utilized by tenants, visitors, employees, and members of the public such as the ground floor lobby, hallways and corridors, public restrooms, and tenant shared spaces such as the third floor breakroom and patio, workout room, and other common areas. The preliminary conceptual drawings will address a variety of issues including, but not limited to, safety and accessibility in common areas and restrooms, worn furniture, obsolete lighting fixtures, and equipment, inefficient flow by the current lobby setup, and aging infrastructure that could put the current Class A standing of the building at risk if not addressed.
To proceed with common area updates requires initial plans and specifications. Staff recommends proceeding with with Safdie Rabines architects, as it has substantial knowledge of the Civic Center building due to its history or prior work on the building, including space plans for several tenant suites, and as-bult drawings for all four floors of the building. This ensures the vendor is aware of existing conditions, systems, and constraints of the building which will also ensure lower cost to the City by minimizing the potential for future change orders and revisions of work.
As proposed by staff, the contract will include language compliant with Government Code §1097.6, and all bidders for the subsequent work will have access to the work prepared under this contract, which will allow Safdie Rabines Architects to participate in subsequent phases of the planned City Hall refurbishment work.
The FY 2025-26 budget for the project is sufficient to cover the proposed contract with Safdie Rabines Architects. Staff reviewed the proposal for the project and seeks City Council approval to award a contract for preliminary and conceptual drawings and plans to Safdie Rabines Architects in an amount not-to-exceed of $310,000, and to authorize the City Manager to negotiate, finalize, and execute an agreement with Safdie Rabines Architects.
Environmental Review
Not applicable.
Fiscal Impact
The funding for the contract is budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Adopted Annual Operations & Capital Improvement Program Budget as building improvement costs in the Real Property Management Fund (605). The contract award does not result in a change to the overall Real Property Management Fund Budget.
Attachment(s)
Resolution
Prepared by: Janet Brotherton, Budget and Analysis Manager
Submitted by: Donna Apar, Finance Director
Reviewed by: Donna Apar, Finance Director
Approved by: Michelle Bender, City Manager