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REPORT <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the City Manager <br /> <br />November 13, 2017 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />Professional Services Agreement with ELS Architecture and Urban Design to manage <br />the master planning effort and schematic design process for the Veterans Memorial <br />Senior Center/YMCA Joint Project <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />By motion, approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the Professional <br />Services Agreement with ELS Architecture and Urban Design, to manage the master <br />planning effort and schematic design process for the Veterans Memorial Senior <br />Center/YMCA Joint Project <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Veterans Memorial Senior Center (VMSC) is a valued community asset which <br />houses dozens of senior clubs; hosts hundreds of free or low-fee programs each year; <br />receives over 100,000 annual visits; and serves as a “second home” for many of our <br />honored senior citizens in Redwood City, including our Veterans. However, the circa- <br />1956 VMSC building is slowly deteriorating; the campus encompasses four separate <br />buildings which segregates program participants and social interaction opportunities; <br />the adjacent Herkner Pool is outdated; and the facility allows little flexibility due to its <br />design. Staff has done their best to properly maintain these facilities while trying to <br />satisfy current users and attract new constituents. Some challenges include: the number <br />of buildings make it very costly to maintain; there is no central welcoming center; the <br />program space has excessive wear-and-tear and is too spread out; there is no physical <br />access from the Center to Herkner Pool; the Senior Center Annex electrical capacity is <br />at its limit; and staff are finding it more difficult to attract younger seniors to the Center. <br /> <br />Staff and the Senior Affairs Commission (SAC) spent two years gathering input about <br />the needs for a replacement building, seeking user perspectives on what was working, <br />what wasn’t working, and desires for a new building. On April 26, 2010, the City Council <br />accepted the “Senior Center Scoping Study” that included the collection of data, the <br />consideration of program requirements, and the scope and magnitude of a new Center. <br />Staff then considered a variety of reconstruction options, identified alternative locations <br />for a future Center, conducted a site analysis to determine space requirements on the <br />existing campus, and held numerous discussions with potential partners. <br /> <br />At the same time, the YMCA of Silicon Valley was conducting a similar scoping process <br />to expand YMCA operations with a new, larger facility. Together, City and YMCA staff <br />6.1.F. - Page 1