Art Center – CURRENT UPDATE

In mid-July, the interviews of the Art Center Request for Proposals (RFQP) Phase II qualifying team interviews were held and included the two panels required by the Art Center RFQP – the Art Center Interview Panel (Community Panel) and a Staff Panel. As is typical for Selection Committee appointments, Former City Manager Lehr appointed members of the community to the Art Center Interview Panel. This Blue Ribbon Panel was made up of experts from various fields related to aspects of the Art Center project such as city officials as well as members of the arts and business communities and included:

• Gail Donaldson Chair, Emeryville Planning Commission, responsible for City Land Use Review and familiar with Planning Entitlement Processes, and Emeryville resident
• Melody Kozma-Kennedy Professional Exhibitor for the SF Museum of Modern Art, Member of Emeryville Public Art Committee and Emeryville resident
• Jim Kennedy Vice President, Pixar, VP of Marketing, Pixar Facilities management, Rotten City Emeryville Cultural Arts District Partner and Emeryville business leader
• Jean Goldman Emeryville Public Art Committee Vice Chair, contributor to Prior Art Center project process, Emeryville business owner and resident
• Bryce Gaspard Director, Bullseye Glass Resource Center; Professional in Arts Education, creation and operation of Artist Studio Space, Artist Residency/Exhibit Programs, Rotten City Emeryville Cultural Arts District Partner, and Emeryville business leader
• Elmo Frazer President, SAE Expression College, arts educator and art studio/production facility management, informal partner to the Rotten City Emeryville Cultural Arts District, and Emeryville arts educator
• Robert Swatt Swatt-Miers Architects, American Institute of Architects Fellow (FAIA) recommended by East Bay AIA as familiar with significant civic projects, Emeryville business owner

Mayor John Bauters pitched-in by serving as the Community Panel’s meeting facilitator but did not vote or otherwise participate in the formal scoring process. Community Development Director Bryant and Interim City Manager Holgersson served as staff support to the Community Panel and Project Manager Thériault served as support to the Staff panel as well as to the Community Panel, as needed.

Members of the Staff interview panel included those responsible for processing of civic facility projects’ technical reviews and financial pro forma analysis and included staff from Public Works, Community Development and the City Attorney’s Office.

Calculations of the two interview teams scores were reviewed by Project manager Thériault. Additional process and financial (construction cost) analysis will be conducted by the City of Emeryville Building Division and Public Works Department teams prior to preparation of the September 17th Council staff report. The report will include attachments consisting of the proposed conceptual designs and the respective recommendations of the two interview panels for their preferred private partner team.

Information regarding the qualifying teams can be found in the “RFQP Phase I Qualification Round - Short List” tab, below. Conceptual proposals prepared by the qualifying teams, and recommendations made by the two interview panels will be brought before Council at their regular public meeting on September 17, 2018. This meeting typically starts at 7:15 pm and is held in the City Council Chambers at 1333 Park Avenue. Copies of the qualifying teams conceptual proposals will be made public and available online on the City Council agenda page 10 days before the meeting. It should be noted that the conceptual proposals are for illustrative purposes, to give the interview panels an idea regarding the teams’ thoughts on design and ability to provide associated and thoughtful financial proposals. The designs to be provided at the September 17th Council meeting may change in part or significantly during the formal Planning entitlement process (as it goes through related public meetings and the public helps to shape the priorities for the formal Art Center design and programming). Please visit the City Council’s agenda page to confirm the meeting date, time, and view the staff report with conceptual proposal attachments when it is available.  If this item is confirmed for the September 17th meeting, the materials should be available by the end of the day on Friday, September 7th. We will update this posting if the meeting date changes.