To: Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: AWARD a design build contract to Creekside Commercial Builders, Inc. for the Hope House Foundation Repairs Project at 300 Ilene Street, Martinez.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to approve the Criteria Documents, including Addenda 1 through 5, for the above project.
DETERMINE that the bid submitted by Creekside Commercial Builders, Inc. (Creekside) complies with all requirements of the Project Criteria Documents.
DIRECT that, as a condition of contract award, Creekside shall provide payment and performance bonds in the form and amount required by the County and shall maintain errors and omissions insurance coverage for the design elements of the project, consistent with County standards and applicable law.
WAIVE any minor irregularities in Creekside’s bid.
FURTHER DETERMINE that Creekside submitted the best value bid for this Project and the bid was responsive and responsible.
DIRECT that, as a condition of contract award, Creekside and its construction subcontractors shall execute a Project Labor Agreement for this Project, as required by the Project Criteria Documents.
AWARD the design-build contract for the above Project to Creekside in the listed amount of $4,961,268 submitted in the bid, and DIRECT the Public Works Director, or designee, to prepare the contract.
ORDER that, after Creekside has signed the contract and returned it, together with the bonds, evidence of insurance, and other required documents, and the Public Works Director has reviewed and found them to be sufficient, the Public Works Director, or designee, is authorized to sign the contract for this Board.
ORDER that, in accordance with the Project Criteria Documents and upon signature of the construction contract by the Public Works Director, or designee, any bid bonds posted by the bidders are exonerated and any checks or cash submitted for bid security shall be returned.
AUTHORIZE the Director of Public Works, or designee, to sign any escrow agreements prepared for this project to permit the direct payment of retentions into escrow or the substitution of securities for monies withheld by the County to ensure performance under the contract, pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 22300.
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to approve final plans, specifications and design documents necessary to implement and construct the Hope House Foundation Repairs Project as described in the in the Project Criteria Documents including Criteria Manual Sections 011110 (Summary of Work) and 011114 (Summary of Work -Services and Deliverables).
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to order changes or additions to the work pursuant to the Public Contract Code Section 20142. The extra cost to the County for any change or addition to the work so ordered shall not exceed $210.000.
DELEGATE, pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 4114, to the Public Works Director, or designee, the Board’s functions under Public Contract Code Sections 4107 and 4110.
DECLARE that, should the award of contract to Creekside be invalidated for any reason, the Board would not in any event have awarded the contract to any other bidder, but instead would have exercised its discretion to reject the bids received. Nothing in this Board Order shall prevent the Board from re-awarding the contract to another bidder in cases where the successful bidder establishes a mistake, refuses to sign the contract, or fails to furnish required bonds or insurance (see Public Contract Code Sections 5100-5107).
DETERMINE that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(d) and 15302(c).
DIRECT the Department of Conservation and Development Director, or designee, to cause a CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) to be filed with the County Clerk and State Clearinghouse, and
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to arrange for payment of a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOE.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The design-build cost of the Hope House Foundation Repairs Project is estimated at $4,961,268 including $250,000 for a County-controlled contingency allowance. Costs will be funded first by including $1,873,000 (38%) insurance settlement, and then the remaining portion split evenly from Health Services Department (HSD) Behavioral Health Services Act (31%) and the County General Fund (31%).
BACKGROUND:
The Hope House facility, located at 300 Ilene Street in Martinez, serves as a 24-hour residential treatment center providing transitional care for individuals leaving hospitals who require additional support before re-entering the community. The facility, which accommodates up to 16 residents, was originally constructed under a contract awarded by the Board of Supervisors in April 2012 and accepted as complete in December 2013. Since its opening, Hope House has played a critical role in the County’s behavioral health continuum by offering an alternative to hospitalization and supporting the recovery and reintegration of vulnerable populations.
Over time, the structural foundation of the Hope House facility has experienced significant deterioration, resulting in structural deficiencies that threaten the habitability and continued operation of the program. The Department of Public Works, in consultation with facility staff and technical experts, has determined that comprehensive foundation repairs are necessary to address these issues and to ensure the long-term viability of the building. The urgency of these repairs is underscored by the essential nature of the services provided at Hope House and the County’s obligation to maintain safe and code-compliant facilities for residents and staff.
In accordance with the County’s established capital project delivery practices, projects of this scale and complexity are typically managed by a dedicated project team and procured through a competitive solicitation process to ensure transparency, competition and the selection of the most qualified team. The design-build delivery method is recognized for its ability to streamline project timelines, foster collaboration between design and construction professionals, and reduce the risk of claims or delays compared to traditional procurement approaches.
Three potential design-build entities (DBEs) were short-listed for the project through a competitive, qualifications-based selection process. On March 11, 2026, the Board authorized the use of design build procurement for this project and further authorized Public Works to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting shortlisted DBEs to submit proposals.
On April 1, 2026, Public Works issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the short-listed DBEs: BBI Construction (BBI), Creekside and Guzman Construction Group, Inc. (Guzman). On April 29, 2026, Guzman notified the County it was withdrawing from pursuit of the project. On May 8, 2026, Public Works received proposals from the two remaining entities. A three-person selection committee consisting of County Administrator’s Office Senior Management Analyst Cora Young, Capital Projects Management Division Senior Project Manager Jeffrey Acuff and Capital Projects Management Division Senior Project Manager Margaret Thorp, assisted by Bill Rowan, Project Manager with Sixth Dimension PM/CM Inc., scored the proposals and presentations made by the two remaining teams.
Of the two proposers, Creekside was awarded the most points in total and by two of the three selection committee members. Based on their highest scoring proposal, staff recommends Creekside’s proposal as the best value for the County.
The proposed action is consistent with the legal authority granted to counties under California Public Contract Code Section 22164, which authorizes the use of design-build procurement for public works projects in excess of $1,000,000, subject to the development of appropriate conflict-of-interest policies and compliance with all applicable statutory requirements. The Department of Public Works has prepared the necessary procurement documents and will ensure that all statutory and County policy requirements are met throughout the solicitation and contract award process.
The contractor will be required to enter into a Project Labor Agreement in connection with the construction services to be performed under the contract.
The Project is exempt from CEQA because the repair of the foundation will not involve any expansion of existing or former use consistent with Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines and the repair of the foundation will involve an existing structure/facility, and the repaired and improved structure/facility will remain in its current location with no expansion of capacity consistent with Section 15302(c) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Construction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2028.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without Board of Supervisors approval, the Hope House Foundation Repairs Project will not proceed, the significant underlying building deficiencies will not be corrected, the facility will remain a costly ongoing maintenance responsibility, and problems that arise related to the existing deficiencies will likely impact critical transitional care services for vulnerable County residents from time to time and potentially lead to further deterioration of the facility.