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CONTRACT K-1718-123: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND HOWELL AND VANCUREN, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $450,000 FOR DESIGN SERVICES TO INCLUDE THE PREPARATION OF CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, BIDDING SERVICES AND CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISION FOR THE NORMAN FORWARD PHASE I RUBY GRANT PARK PROJECT.
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BACKGROUND: The Ruby Grant Farm is a parcel of land in northwest Norman containing approximately 148.79 acres. The land is located west of Interstate 35, south of Franklin Rd, east of 36th Ave N.W. and north of All Saints School. In 1998, Ms. Grant gave the land as part of her estate to the University of Oklahoma Foundation Inc. Although it was not a requirement of the gift, Ms. Grant had expressed a desire that the land be used as a community park.
In 1999, the City began discussions with the O.U. Foundation regarding possible ways to acquire this land for use as a community park. At that time the land had been appraised at a value of $1,700,000. A subsequent appraisal valued the land at $1,750,000. In 2001, the Board of Park Commissioners and the Planning Commission sent letters of support to the City Council recommending the purchase of this property. The 2020 and 2025 Land Use and Transportation Plans both identify this area as best suited for a community park site and also indicate that the City of Norman currently falls short of national standards for community park land acreage.
In 2004, the City Council ranked the acquisition of this property as the highest priority in the Capital Budget and sent a letter to the O.U. Foundation proposing to negotiate the purchase of the site. The appraisal in 2005 valued the property at $2,000,000. The City solidified the purchase of the property for parkland purposed in 2006 for $750,000 with a reversion clause, returning the property to the O.U. Foundation if it is not used for public park purposes. The Purchase and Sale Agreement contained three primary covenants and agreements. Those, in summary, include that the property be used for public park and recreation purposes, that the property be named the Ruby Grant Community Park and that the City to enter into good faith discussions with the University of Oklahoma concerning the feasibility of including cross-country track facilities on a portion of the property. The Purchase and Sale Agreement also contains a condition that “a mutually acceptable master operating and development agreement be entered into regarding administration and overall implementation of the Norman University North Park Project Plan.”
This condition was an important expression of commitment toward the cooperative effort needed between the City and the University to achieve mutually beneficial goals. The OU Foundation was willing to significantly discount the purchase price for the Ruby Grant property in order to assist the City in meeting it park facility needs of its citizens. The OU Foundation hoped for a similar cooperative effort by the City as the City and the OU Foundation and its subsidiary work cooperatively to maximize the full quality and potential of the Norman University North Park Project. It was believed that not only would this plan increase the potential return on the property, it would also spur quality and increased private investment, solidify the Legacy Park/Legacy Trial connection for all of Norman, bring a first class hotel and conference center to Norman, and foster an environment for continued partnership in providing quality jobs for OU graduates through enhanced employment opportunities in the north half of the property.
The Council had adopted the Norman University North Park Project Plan with the adoption of Ordinance O-0506-66 in May of 2006. The Master Operating and Development Agreement was approved by City Council on August 22, 2006. The Special Warranty Deed transferring the Ruby Grant property to the City of Norman for $750,000 was filed on August 30, 2006.
Following acquisition of the Ruby Grant Property, the Landscape Architecture firm of Howell and VanCuren was hired by the City to develop the park master plan. Howell and VanCuren had worked on the development of the plan for several months, which included a great deal of public input through statistically valid surveys, stakeholder meetings, and public meetings. The master planning work was completed by Howell and VanCuren, Inc. as outlined in its report dated January 8, 2008. On January 22, 2008, City Council adopted the Ruby Grant Park Master Plan, ready to move forward once a funding source was identified.
In 2015, the construction of the Ruby Grant Park site was identified to be part of the NORMAN FORWARD Initiative, which included programmed funding in the amount of $6,000,000. On October 13, 2015, Norman citizens passed the NORMAN FORWARD Initiative which would fund various projects through a ½ % sales tax increase over 15 years. One of the projects included in the NORMAN FORWARD Initiative is the first phase construction of the Ruby Grant Park Site.
The NORMAN FORWARD Implementation Plan was developed in June of 2016 by ADG, P.C. who was hired by the City of Norman as the Program Manager for the NORMAN FORWARD program. The Implementation plan calls for pre-construction and A&E services for the Ruby Grant Park project to begin in calendar year 2018, followed by project construction in 2019-2020.
DISCUSSION: Consistent with the NORMAN FORWARD Implementation Plan continuation of design services with Howell and VanCuren, Inc. has been discussed and it is now time to move forward with the next phase of the Ruby Grant Park project. Contract K-1718-123 with Howell and VanCuren, Inc. is a standard AIA contract which includes the following services to accomplish the Phase I work at Ruby Grant Park:
Schematic Design Phase - includes program evaluation and refinement, analysis of existing utilities, cost estimation, design update, topography survey and soil borings and a public meeting to confirm project scope.
Design Development Phase - includes refining site plan, design concepts and individual features/components, development of plans and details; including grading, drainage, utilities, lighting, landscape and irrigation plans, preliminary specifications and cost estimate update.
Construction Development Phase - Includes producing bid and construction documents for all required grading, drainage and erosion control details, site layout plans, site features and amenities details, architectural details, mechanical systems, utilities, landscape and irrigation details, final cost estimates, review meetings and permitting coordination.
Bidding - Includes advertisement for bids, issue of construction documents, pre-bid conference, addenda preparation, bid tab and review.
Construction Administration - Includes pre-construction meeting, RFI review and responses, change order review, submittal review, site visits, construction meetings, substantial completion review and punch list documentation.
After passage of the NORMAN FORWARD sales tax proposal in October of 2015, one of the contemplated Citizen ad hoc Committees discussed by Council in December of 2015 was for the Ruby Grant project. Although the Master Plan for the Ruby Grant park had been adopted by Council in January of 2008, it was felt a citizen ad hoc steering committee would be appropriate to work with the consultants to freshen up the design, if needed, and work with the Project Consultants/City Staff regarding the facility, timeline of project, elements for concept design, elements of final design, assist in public meetings to be held during phases of conceptual and final designs, report on progress of construction at ground breaking, 50% completion, and 100% completion, assist and make recommendations regarding the grand opening of the project, and report to the Council regarding progress of its assignments, similar to the other NORMAN FORWARD ad hoc committees for Westwood, Griffin, Reaves, and the Library projects. Applications for those desiring to serve on the Ruby Grant ad hoc Committee should be submitted to the City Clerk for review by the Mayor and ultimate confirmation by the City Council.
The estimated time to complete the construction documents and bidding of the work for Phase I is approximately 6-1/2 months. Time of construction is estimated to be approximately 12 months. The total fee for the services listed above is not to exceed $450,000. Additional project costs that the City will be responsible for will include reimbursable expenses, materials testing and geo-technical work, which are estimated to be $60,000.
Funds are available for this project in the NORMAN FORWARD Fund, Ruby Grant Park Development Design Project (Account 051-9322-452.62-01); NFP105).
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Norman Municipal Authority approve Contract K-1718-123 with Howell and VanCuren, Inc. in the amount of $450,000 for design, bidding and construction supervision services for the NORMAN FORWARD Phase I Ruby Grant Park Project. Funding for this contract is available in Ruby Grant Park Development Design Project (Account 051-9322-452.62-01); project NFP105).