To: Board of Supervisors
From: Brian M. Balbas, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Demolition of Old Juvenile Hall located at 202 Glacier Drive, Martinez
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
DIRECT the Public Works Director, or designee, to take actions necessary to initiate and complete demolition of Old Juvenile Hall located on the 202 Glacier Drive Probation Department campus in Martinez; to develop demolition design plans and specifications and to obtain permitting necessary to execute the demolition; and to commence such actions in the 2024 calendar year based on an estimated total project budget of $6,500,000.
DETERMINE the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Article 18, Section 15269(c) and Article 19, 15330(a) and (b) of the CEQA Guidelines, and
DIRECT the Director of Department of Conservation and Development (DCD), or designee, to file a Notice of Exemption (NOE) with the County Clerk, and
AUTHORIZE the Public Works Director, or designee, to arrange for payment of a $25 fee to DCD for processing, and a $50 fee to the County Clerk for filing the NOE.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from the actions at this time. The selection of an architectural firm and their contract will be brought to the Board for approval and award at a separate meeting. Likewise for the demolition contractor and final cost estimate. It is currently anticipated that funding for the project will come from several sources including $1.8 million from the sale of 4491 Bixler Road, former Orrin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility, $2.9 million from the Probation Department’s realignment facility modernization grant with the balance of funds coming from other Probation Department funds and/or Capital Reserve Funds. Exact sources and numbers will be brought forward with the contract awards.
BACKGROUND:
The project is an approximately 46,428-square-foot Old Juvenile Hall Building constructed in 1950 and expanded in 1975. The adjacent Juvenile Hall built in 2000 renders the older building obsolete and is no longer needed by the County Probation Department. Hazardous materials including asbestos, lead, and mold have been identified in the Old Juvenile Hall building. Contra Costa County Risk Management has restricted access to the building because it contains hazardous building materials. The building has been broken into several times, vandalized, and theft has occurred. The building presents a health and safety hazard to the public and thus needs to be demolished to prevent an emergency.
A Historic Built Environment Study was conducted in 2023 to determine if the Old Juvenile Hall Building is considered historically significant. The study concluded that it does not meet criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and California Register of Historical Resources.
All hazardous building materials will be abated prior to demolition and will follow hazardous removal best management practices such as personal protective equipment and exposure assessment monitoring. Applicable environmental permits will be obtained, and hazardous materials will be properly disposed of off-site. The associated asphalt/concrete courtyards and landscaping will also be demolished and disposed of off-site. The site will be graded to a smooth surface and erosion control measures will be implemented. Demolition is estimated to commence in 2024 and take approximately one year to complete.
Staff recommends Board approve the Public Works Director to take actions necessary to initiate and complete the demolition of Old Juvenile Hall.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Not approving these actions could lead to risk exposure to the County from potential further break-ins and vandalization, risks of exposure to hazardous materials known to be present within the building, and continuing deterioration if not demolished. Demolition costs will continue to escalate with prolonged delay of this work.
ATTACHMENTS:
CEQA