HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD TOMORROW AT BUDGET HEARING RE: $300,000 for Civic Center Plan Phase III

[John Caner]

Dear CCCC,

 

Please consider having your voice heard at Berkeley Council Meeting, tomorrow night at 6pm, either in person, via Zoom, and/or email re the Budget Referral: Civic Center Plan Phase III – Advancing Pre-Design & Construction Activities for Berkeley’s Maudelle Shirek and Veterans Buildings at Budget Hearing. The budget hearing is first item on agenda after consent calendar. 

 

The budget process is very competitive! So it is important the Mayor and Council hear from you!  You can participate via several methods:

• Attend meeting in-person and speak during public comment during Budget Hearing: School District Board Room; 1231 Addison St (in West Berkeley)
• Attend and speak via Zoom, and be sure to “Raise Hand” when Budget Hearing starts: https://cityofberkeley-info.zoomgov.com/j/1604289924
• Send email no later than Tuesday morning to Mayor and Council at cou...@berkeleyca.gov

 

Here is excerpt from Councilmember Wengraf & Hahn’s Budget Referral on 5-7-24:

 

56.-Budget Referral: Civic Center Plan Phase III – Advancing Pre-Design & Construction Activities for Berkeley’s Maudelle Shirek and Veterans Buildings
From: Councilmember Wengraf (Author), Councilmember Hahn (Co-Sponsor)
Recommendation: Refer to the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 Budget Process an allocation of $300,000 for the Civic Center Plan Phase III.
Financial Implications: See report
Contact: Susan Wengraf, Councilmember, District 6, (510) 981-7160

…Phase III: Advancing Pre-Design & Construction Activities needs funding in order to proceed. During this Phase, the tentative scope includes hiring a consultant team, with support of city staff, to a achieve the following outcomes for Berkeley’s Civic Center: 

1. Existing Conditions Documentation - on the city-owned and occupied Civic Center buildings (Maudelle Shirek and Veterans): topographic survey, Building Information Models (BIM) including, if desired, 3-D modeling, hazardous materials study, utility assessments, building system assessments. Explore the possibility of moving the Council Chambers back to the Maudelle Shirek building when construction is completed. Explore and consider constructing and attaching a new structure to the back of the Shirek building in order to retrofit the original landmark, as recommended in one the earthquake studies. This could include a new Council Chamber (and possibly additional office space if new space is identified as a need.).

2. Tenant Identification - in close collaboration with all city departments Phase III of the Civic Center project will further identify and refine who the future tenants of the structures will be, with a focus on the Maudelle Shirek Building as the Veterans building has been identified already for arts and cultural uses, in the Phase II Design Concept Plan. This effort will utilize and/or update the City's existing space needs study (if available), and generate a companion inventory of city-owned space along with any existing conditions documentation as needed to develop a design concept for the Courthouse building (city owned, leased to Alameda County until potentially 2057, if the County uses all of their extension options) that integrates it into the larger Civic Center Design Concept given its prime location at 2120 MLK Jr Way in between the Public Safety and Maudelle Shirek Buildings. The Building Inventory should include all City owned and leased space, including rental costs and insurance costs of leased space and termination dates for existing leases. 

 

John Caner, CEO
Downtown Berkeley Association
Office: 1917 Addison Street, Suite 191

Berkeley CA 94704
O 510.549.2230 x5

M 510.501.0256
jca...@downtownberkeley.com

 

[Deborah Matthews]

GM John,

I plan to attend tonight's council meeting (time permitted) and speak on this item.

Friendly suggestion: It would be helpful for the CCCC group attending as speakers to have key points we can emphasize  

during public comment/s and show our united effort to move the project forward. Thanks for considering.

Deborah

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[Loni Hancock]

Thank you, Deborah and John! 

Sent from my iPhone

On May 21, 2024, at 11:11 AM, John Caner <john...@gmail.com> wrote:



CCCC,

Here are some suggested talking points:

 

1. These building are subject to demolition by neglect without our love and attention--and seismic retrofit and renovation
2. Phase III will get us one step closer to shovel-ready projects for federal state or local funding once budget situation improves in various jurisdiction
3. With the failure of Measure L, federal earmarks, and state grants this is the best option to keep the Civic Center project moving forward.
4. The City inventory of owned and leased spaces will be particularly helpful in determining possible City uses of buildings.
5. City Council should also commit to bringing back Council Chambers back to new structure in back of Maudelle Shirek Building, once lease is up at School district in 2028.

 

Please feel free to share others with group, and/or add to what you say to Council as you see fit!

 

Cheers, John

 

 

 

John Caner

2215 Roosevelt Ave.

Berkeley CA 94703

m 510.501.0256

<image001.png>

 

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[Loni Hancock]

Tom and I have emailed in a letter of support since we are still out of CA. Hope others can make it - passing this can set Civic Center on a positive future path 😊

Loni

Sent from my iPhone

On May 21, 2024, at 10:43 AM, Deborah Matthews <theb...@gmail.com> wrote:



<image001.png>

 

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[Deborah Durant]

Hi all, 

Many thanks for the updates, John - I look fwd to hearing how things go. Am writing you from Italy & will be back June 17th. 

Thanks, 

*Deb 

deb durant, berkeley

holdable rock: 415.235.1551

@debdurant

www.debdurant.com

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[Sally Nelson]

Your preparation is excellent, and I hope it’s going well.  Sorry I couldn’t attend, as I’m recovering from some major dental work.

~ Sally

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[KENNETH STEIN]

… and I do certainly hope you will add the importance of including disability accessibility compliance into the budget of rehabilitating the Maudelle Shirek Old City Hall bldg.

Thanks All.

On May 21, 2024, at 10:22 AM, Loni Hancock <loni.h...@comcast.net> wrote:

Thank you, Deborah and John! 

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[Igor Tregub]

Sending a support letter shortly. 🤞 

Sent from Gmail Mobile

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[John Caner]

CCCC,

Here are some suggested talking points:

 

1. These building are subject to demolition by neglect without our love and attention--and seismic retrofit and renovation
2. Phase III will get us one step closer to shovel-ready projects for federal state or local funding once budget situation improves in various jurisdiction
3. With the failure of Measure L, federal earmarks, and state grants this is the best option to keep the Civic Center project moving forward.
4. The City inventory of owned and leased spaces will be particularly helpful in determining possible City uses of buildings.
5. City Council should also commit to bringing back Council Chambers back to new structure in back of Maudelle Shirek Building, once lease is up at School district in 2028.

 

Please feel free to share others with group, and/or add to what you say to Council as you see fit!

 

Cheers, John

 

 

 

John Caner

2215 Roosevelt Ave.

Berkeley CA 94703

m 510.501.0256

 

 

On 5/21/24, 9:43 AM, "berkel...@googlegroups.com on behalf of Deborah Matthews" <berkel...@googlegroups.com on behalf of theb...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/berkeleycccc/CAOLivERtmATS1cQdu-yk8orm39sLsUr6fSvQLJ_3emJ%2B_9i2MA%40mail.gmail.com.