(ECCL PUBLIC ART PROJECT)
Deadline for Submissions: Friday May 29, 2015 by 5 p.m.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Emeryville Center of Community Life (ECCL)
The Emeryville Center of Community Life (ECCL) is a groundbreaking partnership model for an experiment in “community schools”, a new way of bringing public resources to bear on the quality of life and quality of education in the community. Local leaders envision a one-stop location where families not only send their children to school, but also have access to afterschool programs, health and family support services, a library, child care and prekindergarten programs and a wide range of recreation opportunities, college classes, and job training courses for the entire community.
City and school district officials have worked together for more than a decade to make this bold vision a reality. The ECCL project is a community center incorporating elementary, intermediate and high school facilities with a library, health clinic and public meeting areas. It is designed to be the heart of the community – a meeting place and hub of civic and educational activity. In planning stages for more than a decade, the final design and scope of the ECCL was achieved by collecting feedback from more than 20 community design workshops resulting in nearly 50 hours of opinions and comments
The ECCL project website can be found here: http://www.emeryvillecenter.org/. ECCL approval history can be found here:http://www.emeryvillecenter.org/city_school.htm.
City of Emeryville
Emeryville is located along the Interstate 80, Union Pacific Railroad, and Amtrak commuter rail corridors between Berkeley and Oakland. Its western edge lies along the shore of San Francisco Bay and it sits near the eastern foot of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Emeryville is a regional retail destination, as well as headquarters to a number of companies in high-tech, biotech, new media, and more. Its residential population of 10,000 includes not only an ethnically and culturally diverse mix of people, but a large number of artists who live and work in industrial properties converted for that purpose, embedding artists throughout Emeryville.
Emery Unified School District
The Emery Unified School District serves 790 students from kindergarten through 12th grade with as many as 50% of these students being Oakland residents served through out-of-district transfers. Current enrollment is spread between the Emery Secondary School, formerly on the site, and now operating nearby in Oakland during construction, and the Anna Yates Elementary School in Emeryville. The District is demographically distinct from the City, with, varying by school, 54- 64%% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, the most consistent proxy for poverty within a School District. https://emeryusd.k12.ca.us/
Art in Public Places Program
In 1990, the City established an Art in Public Places Program through a Percent for Art ordinance. Emeryville is currently home to over 100 works of public art in a variety of media paid for by participating developers or through an in-lieu fee. The commissioning of artwork for ECCL, paid for from these fees, affords the City the opportunity to add to this collection of award-winning artwork. See more information about Emeryville’s Art in Public Places Program and the resulting installations at www.emeryville.org/publicart.
PROJECT SITE
The Emery Unified School District (EUSD) is building the ECCL at 4727 San Pablo Avenue on the former Emery Secondary School site. The project is an approximately 130,000 square foot multi-story multi-use facility on a site of about 7.7 acres. The site is bounded by San Pablo Avenue on the east, 47th Street on the south, 53rd Street on the north, and the Emery Bay Village residential community on the west. The campus will co-locate the elementary and secondary schools and accommodate the City’s Community Services Department’s administrative offices and recreation programs, and will be operated jointly by the Emery Unified School District and the City of Emeryville. Community uses include: the city’s first library, a health clinic and a multipurpose room. Space is dispersed as follows:
Building A Community Multi-Purpose Room5,900 1 Floor
Building B 1st Floor: EUSD Administrative and Community Services Functions
2nd Floor: School Health Clinic13,200 2 Floors
Building C School Multi-Purpose/K-8 Grade Building53,300 3 Floors
Building D Library/High School/Science and Art Lab Building26,600 2 Floors
Building E Gymnasium 30,740 1 Floor
Total 129,740 square feet
Structures will include four new buildings, and the existing gymnasium and swimming pool will be renovated. The Project also includes renovation and modification to the existing sport fields, running track, playgrounds and basketball courts. The existing outdoor recreation facilities, including swimming pool, will be renovated and modified. The site facilities will be used during the day, evening, and weekends with the center expected to operate daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. year around with the highest usage during the school year (September to June).
Operating Characteristic and Circulation:
The campus will be operated jointly by the Emery Unified School District and the City of Emeryville. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines responsibilities and uses of space governs the site’s operations.
While it is anticipated that there would be approximately 780 students at the ECCL facility once it is completed, the school structures would be built to accommodate a maximum of 900 students and 90 teachers and staff. During school hours (approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), public access to the portions of the project site used by the K-12 grade students would be limited through the use of architectural features such as grade separations, walls, fencing, gates, building placement and locked doors dependent on classroom loading conditions.
During school hours, the school functions will occur in dedicated areas of the facility where public access will be restricted. In addition, within the dedicated school area, design delineates specific zones for separating elementary, middle and high school age students.
The project is over 30 feet high and has three stories in its interior, with one to two stories along San Pablo Avenue. Please see the attached plans (Attachment A) for building locations (Sheet A1.01) and bird’s eye view of the campus (Sheet A0.03). The buildings in the ECCL will be operated as follows:
(1) Building A (Community Multi-Purpose Room) will be available for community use at all times. However, this room will be available by reservation for private events, which would preclude public access aside from invitees. In addition, a large curtain for privacy make an interior installation inappropriate as there will not be consistent visibility from the exterior. However, this building would be appropriate for public art installations on the exterior, oriented to 53rd Street or San Pablo Avenue, in the adjacent corner plaza, and potentially on the parapet roof adjacent to San Pablo Avenue.
(2) Building B (Administrative and Community Services Building) will include offices and conference rooms for the District and the City’s Community Services Department, as well as a storage room, break room, health/dental clinic, senior lounge for the elderly, game room and a family resource center. An overhead walkway will connect this building to the high school classroom structure, which will also front on San Pablo Avenue. Portions of this building adjacent to the Community and Library plazas, situated to its north and south, may be appropriate for public art installations.
(3) Building C (School Multi-Purpose/K-8 Grade Building). The school multi-purpose and K-8 grade classroom space will be in the interior of the project site, west of the” “Community Commons”. This building will have approximately 22 classrooms, learning centers, a science center, a music room, and additional support and administrative areas. This building is inappropriate for public art installations due to its lack of public access.
(4) Building D (Library/9-12 Grade Classrooms/Science and Art Lab Building). A school library will be on the ground floor, fronting on San Pablo Avenue. It may be open to the public during non-school hours (after 4:00 p.m.). The library is approximately 5,400 square feet. During non-school operating hours, the public may have access to the entire library offerings. During school hours (approximately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), it is expected that the public might have access to limited spaces such as the “café” space where coffee carts may be placed. However, the public may have access to a variety of library services in a “community living room” including public-access computers, mobile collections, casual seating, and small meeting facilities adjoining the “café” space with spill-out seating into the Library Plaza. Due to its limited public access, the Library is not appropriate for public art installations; however, the Library Plaza is appropriate for a public art installation.
(5) Building E (Gymnasium). The existing gymnasium currently located on the project site, which fronts on 47th Street, will remain and be renovated. Renovations include construction of student and community locker rooms and a dance/aerobics area. This building is inappropriate for public art installations.
Outdoor Sports and Recreation Features. As part of the project, the existing sports field would be reconfigured and resurfaced with artificial turf. This improvement will allow for the field to be used for football, soccer, baseball, and other uses. Additionally, a track, spectator bleachers, night lighting, netting and public address system will be installed. One full basketball court will be located immediately east of the gymnasium. Elementary school play areas will also be installed on the project site. Active play areas will be located to the east and west of the K-8 school multi-purpose room. A learning garden and pre-bell recreation area will be located north of the K-8 Building. A 9-12 grade “social space” will be located east of the basketball courts. This space is inappropriate for public art installations
PROJECT SCOPE
The artist or artists may propose installations in any of the following key opportunity sites. They include both interior and exterior spaces. The following sites are highlighted in Attachments B-E. They include three plazas on San Pablo Avenue that have lockable gates between the school facilities and the public right of way, which are assumed to remain open during operational hours (assumed 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily).
53rd Street Corner/Gateway Plaza – 360 square feet. See Attachment B.
- Located at the Intersection of 53rd Street and San Pablo Avenue
- Triangular shaped plaza, a curb extension into the right of way has created space for a property-side installation, with excellent visibility from San Pablo Avenue
- Three trees in planters and seat walls (Milenio by Landscapeforms.com) limit installation sites. A three foot planter provides Building A drainage. A County easement for a storm water culvert (historically Temescal Creek) runs under the plaza, adjacent to Building B (See Attachment C)
- Eight bands of colored concrete, each measuring 9 feet 11 inches in length, cover the plaza
- The area clear of ADA wheelchair ramps and planters appropriate for an installation area is about 360 sq. ft. or approximately 19 feet by 19 feet
- Building A is adjacent to the south of the plaza with a large windowed (curtained) wall. Building A has a lower roof at the corner that may be considered for installation as well and is discussed below
Community Plaza Spaces
Community Plaza – 5,270 square feet. See Attachment C.
- Mid-block between 53rd and 47th Streets on San Pablo Avenue.
- Plaza is 53 feet 7 inches wide.
- Locking gates 13 feet high with posts set 10 to 16 feet apart with a canopy 40 feet wide, rising from 13 feet 6 inches to 15 feet 6 inches high divide the courtyard from the adjacent sidewalk. . As noted above, these gates are assumed to remain open during operational hours.
- Street trees, in addition to the gates, obscure street visibility.
- Building A is to the north and Building B is to the south.
- Possible art installation on the canopy may be considered to maximize visibility in the midblock courtyards.
- Bike racks separate the plaza from Building B in the southwest end of the courtyard.
- Four trees limit sites for larger installations, although the larger size of this courtyard as compared to the Library Courtyard allows greater flexibility for installations.
}Library Plaza – 2,510 square feet. See Attachment D
- Midblock between 53rd and 47th Streets on San Pablo Avenue.
- The Library is 13 feet high to south.
- The court is 63 feet 6 inches wide.
- Locking gates 13 feet high with posts set 10 to 16 feet apart with a canopy 40 feet wide, rising from 13 feet 6 inches to 15 feet 6 inches high divide the courtyard from the adjacent sidewalk. As noted above, these gates are assumed to remain open during operational hours.
- Street trees in addition to the gates obscure street visibility.
- Building B is to the north and Building D is to the south.
- Possible art installation on the canopy may be considered to maximize visibility in the midblock courtyards.
- Bike racks separate the plaza from Building B in the north end of the courtyard.
- Three trees limit sites for larger installations, which could create concerns about a path of travel in the courtyard.
Indoor Space
Welcome Center – 886 square feet. See Attachment E
- A 25 foot high ceiling could accommodate a suspended art work visible from the Community Plaza and San Pablo Avenue.
- There is a potential conflict with the proposed lighting fixtures.
- West wall is visible from San Pablo Avenue through windows (though may be obscured by street trees).
- Midblock between 53rd and 47th Streets on San Pablo Avenue south of Community Plaza.
- Between Community Plaza and Library Courtyard.
PROJECT CONTEXT
The project site is an integrated location with both a School District facility and a City facility expected to become the heart of Emeryville’s residential community. It is a critical location on the City’s planned east-west greenway and sits on the City’s boundary, along a major arterial and state highway visible to motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians traveling to or from, or through, Emeryville.
Gateway: ECCL is at the border of Emeryville at a “gateway” location as identified in the General Plan. The City of Oakland border lies in the middle of 53rd Street just north of the campus. The northeast corner of the ECCL building forms the most prominent entry point to the City for south bound traffic on San Pablo Avenue (State Route 123). The General Plan states
“Gateway features should be unique in design, visible to both motorists and pedestrians, and emblematic of the city’s cultural and historic identity as well as its role within the region.
“Create visual gateways through streetscape design, public art signage, landscaping, lighting, and pavers to create a sense of entry and city character.”
See http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=385. Any installation in the 53rd Street Plaza should consider this gateway function.
Temescal Greenway: ECCL is directly above the historic corridor of Temescal Creek running from the Oakland Hills to the San Francisco Bay. Running in culverts for the width of Emeryville, the creek feeds into the Emeryville Crescent in the East Bay Regional Park District’s wildlife refuge at McLaughlin Eastshore State Park http://www.ebparks.org/parks/eastshore. The General Plan calls for the design and implementation of a mile long greenway accommodating pedestrian and bicycle access including a to-be constructed bridge over the railroad tracks and following the historic route of Temescal Creek. The planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge at the terminus of 53rd Street at Horton Street will draw significant new bicycle and pedestrian traffic along the northern edge of the ECCL campus.
Envisioned is a linear greenway from the historic mouth of Temescal Creek at San Francisco Bay to the boundary of Emeryville and Oakland to the east, incorporating three school sites, four park sites, regional bike routes (including new access to the Bay Bridge) to be served by the development of an adjacent bridge over the railroad tracks and a development site. The creek is currently either day lighted or open grates provide both visual and auditory evidence of the creek at:
- Bakery Lofts
- Temescal Creek Park
- Temescal Creek Organic Garden
- Horton Street
- Bay Street
- Marriott Hotel
Creek conditions at these locations are illustrated in Attachment F. The City’s General Plan call for day lighting of the creek or creation of water features along the Greenway wherever possible.
QUALIFICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY
This RFQ is open to visual artist teams or individuals residing in the U.S. who meet the following qualifications.
1. The team members must demonstrate knowledge of and interest in contemporary public art, particularly within an urban environment; have a history of completing projects on time and within budget; and demonstrated experience in working with government organizations and civic committees in a planning process. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential to this project.
2. Each team member must demonstrate a history of professional activity and achievement in their respective fields.
3. The team or individual must have experience in producing at least two previously installed permanent, exterior or interior public art projects similar in scale and complexity to this project.
4. If the project proposal includes water features, stained glass, or a suspended art work the team must include an artist with such experience with a project of similar components and scale.
{C}5. The team leader must demonstrate the ability to manage a project of this scale and complexity, and to oversee the work of multiple disciplines. He/she must demonstrate technical competence with regard to selection of materials, lighting recommendations, if included, installation procedures and long-term maintenance, or must be able to procure and manage the work of sub-consultants with such experience.
PROJECT GOALS
The goals of this Project are to:
1. Celebrate ECCL as the community’s heart of the city – a meeting place and hub of civic and educational activity.
2. Create a powerful, iconic image for ECCL and the City of Emeryville
3. Provide a visual and psychological connection for residents/pedestrians between the school and public spaces of ECCL through the creation and placement of public art
4. Develop memorable public art piece(s) to increase public appreciation of the ECCL site and its unique relationship to the community.
5. Establish a sense of entry into Emeryville.
6. Facilitate student, teacher and community engagement.
7. Encourage and enhance pedestrian and bicycle access to the site and along the proposed Temescal Creek Greenway along 53rd Street by incorporating reference to riparian habitats, creek experiences, or seasonal drought/flow, as features of the historic creek.
Site Restrictions
There are several restrictions regarding the location of the artwork, as follows:
1. No encroachment on San Pablo Avenue
2. No penetration of the sidewalk, pathways or walls on the project site except to anchor the installation or be covered by or integral to the installation itself.
3. Conform to the City’s water saving and bay friendly landscaping ordinances. Consideration of California reoccurring drought conditions must be considered in any proposal featuring reuse or manipulation of water on site.
4. Public safety is of critical importance. Any artwork affecting the construction will be required to meet all safety regulations and must be reviewed by the City.
5. No materials may increase the vertical clearance over 30 feet.
6. Any interior installation must meet the minimum requirement for public access (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. -5 p.m.).
PUBLIC ART BUDGET
The budget is a not-to-exceed figure of $150,000. This amount includes all costs related to the team’s design and project management fees; all subcontracted and consultant costs, including engineers, electricians, fabricators, studio and overhead costs; fabrication, transportation, delivery, storage and installation of all art components; General and Automobile Liability, Professional Liability and Fine Arts insurance as required; and all other costs associated with the art project including a minimum budget contingency of 15%. The City will reserve $20,000 in contingency for costs potentially incurred by the City or to be allocated to the artist for unforeseen reasons.
Please note that the budget also includes all costs required for all permits and licenses, including lane closure.
SELECTION OF FINALISTS
1. Applications will be pre-screened by City staff to ensure that applicants meet the minimum qualifications.
2. A Selection Panel comprised of representatives from the City of Emeryville, the Public Art Committee, and arts professionals will review the applications and rank them according in to the selection criteria outlined below. The teams with the five highest scores will be asked to conduct an interview via videoconferencing to determine the applicants’ interest in and potential approach to each project.
Following the interviews, the Panel will select up to 3-5 finalist teams.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Finalist Teams will be selected by the following criteria:
1.The aesthetic quality of the each team member’s past work, including content, craftsmanship, uniqueness and relevance to its environment.
2. The degree to which each member’s work relates to the goals and parameters of one or more of the project sites
3. Evidence that each member has produced public projects that have maintained an appropriate level of quality and integrity over time.
4. Each member’s demonstrated ability to work successfully as a member of a multi-disciplinary team or to have solely produced the proposed work autonomously and to work within public review processes.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN SUBMITTAL PROCESSES
1. One or more members of the Teams selected to design conceptual proposals for the Project may be asked to attend a project orientation with representatives from the City and other project stakeholders. Attendance may be arranged via electronic media. Team members who attend the orientation and who travel more than 90 miles from the orientation site will receive a pre-approved travel allowance based on applicable Federal reimbursement rates.
2.Teams will be given 10-12 weeks to develop design concepts for the Project.
3.Teams must confer with the City when developing the conceptual designs, including identifying initial ideas for artwork locations, content, scale and media.
4. Conceptual design proposals must indicate the design intent, location of the proposed artworks, color and materials, fabrication processes, a preliminary budget based on actual cost estimates, and a project timeline. Finalists will be expected to provide to-scale renderings and other visual materials, samples, and models to adequately illustrate the proposed artwork.
5. Proposed budgets must not exceed $150,000 This amount includes all costs related to the team’s design and project management fees, all subcontractor and consultant costs, including engineers, electricians, fabricators; studio and overhead costs, fabrication, transportation, delivery, storage and installation of all artwork components; General and Automobile Liability, Professional Liability and Fine Arts insurance as required, and all other costs associated with the art project, including all applicable permits and fees for any required lane closures and site preparation
6. The proposed budgets will be evaluated based on the proposed scope of work and will be an integral part of the selection process.
7. The Proposal must include a proposed maintenance plan that specifies how the City can maintain and/or replace the art components over a 20-year lifespan.
8. The proposals for the art will be placed on display in City Hall for a two-week period during which the public may comment, though not vote on, the proposals.
The Selection Panel will review and evaluate the proposals for the artwork based on the following criteria:
1. Artistic excellence, creativity and originality of the project’s concept.
2. The Team’s response to the stated goals of the project.
3. The technical feasibility of the proposed artwork, including minimum maintenance requirements, resistance to vandalism and appropriateness for public use and access.
4. An evaluation of the proposed budget, including: 1) its feasibility for the nature and scope of the project, and 2) an analysis of the submitted cost estimates from subcontractors and suppliers.
5. Positive feedback from professional references.
FINALIST’S HONORARIUM
The honorarium for the submission of the conceptual design proposal is $3,000 plus pre-approved travel expenses, as well as reimbursable costs for the shipping of the proposal display materials not exceeding $4,000. The honorarium will be paid upon the successful submission of the proposals and reimbursable expenses as invoiced.
OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS
All documents, including sketches, plans, specifications, reports, and all other materials, including models, submitted as part of the conceptual design proposal will become the property of the City of Emeryville upon payment of the honoraria to the artist. Exceptions include material samples, tapes, or other materials presented to illustrate the proposal, but which are not integral parts of the proposal.
PROJECT SCHEDULE**
Target dates for completion of preliminary design and final design are shown below.
RFQ releaseApril 10, 2015
Questions DueMay 7, 2015
Applications DueMay 29, 2015
Panel meets to select semi-finalistsJune-July 2015
PAC Recommendation of semi-finalistsAugust 2015
City Council Approval of semi-finalistsSeptember 2015
Project Orientation for semi-finalists October 2015
Conceptual Design Proposals DueDecember 2015
Proposals displayed for public viewing in City HallDec. 2015 - Jan. 2016
Project Finalists Recommended by Selection PanelJanuary 2016
Public Art Committee Reviews Selection Panel Recommendations For Selection and Mockup February 2016
City Council Considers Public Art Committee RecommendationsApril 2016
Project Finalists NotifiedApril 2016
Mockup May 2016
Design Development, Fabrication and Installation June – November 2016
Dedication EventDecember 2016 (subject to art work proposed)
**This schedule may be subject to change.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Finalist Teams will be required to carry insurance, including a minimum of $1,000,000 combined single incident general liability insurance, $1,000,000 combined single limit per accident automobile liability, and Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability Insurance (if applicable) in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence. Risk of Loss Insurance for the value of the artwork will also be required.
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday May 29, 2015 by 5 p.m. PST. Applications are available through CaFÉ, an on-line application system. If the team consists of all first time users of CaFÉ, please allow adequate time to learn the use of this system. See Submittal Requirements below.
The following are to be submitted via CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org)
1. Narrative (maximum 3,000 characters) indicating the team’s interest in and qualifications for the project. The narrative should include specificity as to the proposed:
- Location or locations proposed for installation
- Media(s) preferred if selected
2. Please indicate the name of the team member who will enter into a Professional Services Agreement with the City for the project. The City will issue only one such Agreement.
3. Resumes (not to exceed 2,000 characters) for each team member that highlights professional accomplishments and describes experience with projects similar in scope and nature to this project.
4. A maximum of 12 images, per team, of projects relevant to this call.
5. Annotated image list with full descriptions including title, medium, dimensions, project budget, location and commissioning agency.
6. Name and contact information for the team’s representative.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
1.All applicants must read and acknowledge acceptance of the terms of the City's public art contract prior to responding to this RFQ. The terms of the contract are non-negotiable and failure to accept the terms of the contract will result in disqualification from the project at the conceptual design proposal phase. The contract template may be accessed athttp://www.emeryville.org/DocumentCenter/View/6265.
2. Selected artists will be required to waive their rights of integrity to commissioned artwork as pertains to its removal or repair as set forth in the California Art Preservation Act and the Visual Artists Rights Act.
The City of Emeryville reserves the right to reject any or all applications or proposals and to modify or terminate the application process or the selection process for any reason and without prior notice.
Direct all questions related to this RFQ via email only to:
Amber Evans, Community Economic Development Coordinator, at aevans@emeryville.org
Questions received by April 27, 2015 and their answers will be shared with all email addresses emailed to aevans@emeryville.org by April 27, 2015. Questions after this time may not be answered.
Attachments
A: ECCL Plans Overview
B. 53rd St Gateway Plaza
C. Community Plaza
D. Library Plaza
E. Welcome Center
F. Creek conditions elsewhere in Emeryville
For complete set of Attachments (additional details) see: http://www.emeryville.org/278/Current-Development-Projects
