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5.A -1 <br />REPORT <br />To the Honorable Chair and Redevelopment Agency Board <br />From the Chair, Council Courthouse, <br />Renovation Committee <br />April 28, 2003 <br />Subject <br />Professional Services Agreement with Freedman Tung & Bottomley (FTB) for the Design <br />of the Courthouse Square. <br />Recommendation <br />The Council Courthouse Renovation Committee recommends that the Redevelopment <br />Agency Board: <br />approve an agreement with FTB for design services for the Courthouse Square <br />and Marshall Street Frontage in an amount not to exceed $195,910; and <br />2. approve and authorize an additional appropriation of $66,810 from the <br />_ Redevelopment Fund Balance to the funding previously approved for the <br />restoration of the Courthouse and the design of the Courthouse Plaza. <br />Background <br />The plan to create an open plaza in front of the Courthouse is key to restoring Redwood <br />City's historic downtown as the social and symbolic "heart of the city ". The Courthouse <br />Square will be the primary downtown public open space, which will make a significant <br />contribution to the identity and investment climate of the City as a whole. With the <br />historically significant Courthouse and dome as the backdrop, and the Fox Theater and <br />Retail /Cinema Project in its vicinity, the plaza will become the centerpiece of the <br />downtown. Celebrations, concerts and other special community events will take place <br />there, as well as everyday activities such as enjoying an outdoor lunch or just sitting <br />and watching people go by. <br />The City Council has previously agreed to be the lead agency for the Historic <br />Courthouse restoration, which is required for the removal of the annex structures, and is <br />the first major component of making the Courthouse Square a reality. On April 9, 2002, <br />the Redevelopment Agency appropriated $500,000 for work related to both the <br />restoration design of the Courthouse and the design of the Courthouse Plaza. <br />Contracts with DES Architects and Engineers were subsequently approved for the <br />schematic design of the restoration work, as well as for the preparation of <br />construction /demolition documents. These contracts to date total $370,900. <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />