Public Works recommends the Public Works Facility Master Plan be awarded to Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, Inc., dba Parkhill, in the amount of $541,620; conditioned upon timely execution of all necessary documents.
The Public Works Service Complex consists of construction yard and storage areas in addition to several buildings including: the Gerald P. Cosgrove Operations Building, Fleet Service Building, Warehouse, Parkway Parks Maintenance Facility and the Environmental Education Center. The Gerald P. Cosgrove Operations Building has been in operation since 1992 without any major renovation. The Fleet Service Building has been in operation since 1979 with two additions to the building, in 1981 and in 2004.
As a part of the 2021 Bond Referendum, a minor renovation to the Operations and Fleet Buildings was approved by voters. The minor renovation that was planned included minimal changes to the layout of the Operations Building with new carpet, new paint and the addition of four offices. There were no planned changes to the vehicle bay spaces or options to address the lack of construction yard space, parking, and equipment storage.
Plano has transitioned from a City with newer infrastructure that required minimal maintenance to a city with older infrastructure with increased demand for maintenance and rehabilitation. For instance, from 2017 to 2021 the Public Works Department’s CIP repair budget expanded from $33M to $88M and now totals $99M for FY 23-24. In addition, requests for sidewalk, street, and utility repairs have increased over the same timeframe by over 50%. In order to accomplish the required work, office staff has been added to support the design and construction of the projects. In order to address this immediate need, the City has entered into a temporary lease agreement for additional space.
After reviewing the initial plan for the minor renovation of the Operations Building, it became clear that a master plan for the entire Public Works Service Complex is necessary. The current space cannot support the additional staff needed today; therefore, an evaluation needs to be performed on both the type and number of positions that will be needed as well as the amount of overall space necessary for the long-term success of the City of Plano.
The proposed master plan will perform a needs-based evaluation of the existing facilities to determine the proper amount of yard space, office space, bay space, and workshop space needed for the foreseeable future. The evaluation will also consider other potential elements such as areas dedicated to: landscape/yard debris operations, training space, and potential in-house work. The proposed master plan will include a full analysis of the existing buildings to identify cost-effective improvements. The overall plan may demonstrate a need to acquire additional property in the event the existing property is determined to not adequately support the long-term functions of the City. The master plan is anticipated to develop a phased approach to consider the best use of funds.
Parkhill was deemed the best qualified firm to provide the necessary professional services based on their Statement of Qualifications submission for RFQ 2023-0288-B. After in-person presentations and reference check, the committee selected Parkhill because of the firm’s approach, experience in master planning for large public works complexes, their understanding of the different needs for field staff while balancing the requirements for the administrative staff, and their knowledge of industry standards. Parkhill has completed similar municipal planning projects for area cities including: Lewisville, McKinney, Arlington, Grapevine and Midlothian. They are also currently providing similar services for the City of Coppell.
If this project is not awarded, the master plan for the Public Works Facility Master Plan cannot move forward.