The SeaTac City Council will be holding a special study session scheduled on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, starting at 5 p.m. to discuss a proposal for a new city hall and civic campus project.

This would be a major milestone project which can change the city’s landscape and have positive impacts on SeaTac for the next several decades.

Citizens are encouraged to tune in and participate in the meeting, as local lawmakers will address numerous questions and concerns related to the proposed project. The study session’s agenda and supporting materials are available on the city’s official website here.

Here’s what’s in the agenda packet:

Council consideration:

A Resolution authorizing the City Manager to site, design and construct a Civic Campus inclusive of a New City Hall and hire both additional staff and consulting services to support the project.

ANALYSIS:
An evaluation of City Hall in 2021 by ARC Architects identified more than $74 million in necessary upgrades to major systems and seismic retrofitting of the 44-year-old building. In August 2022, the Council expressed support for proceeding with development of a new City Hall instead of renovating the existing building. At that same Council Study Session, some Councilmembers expressed a preference for a Civic Campus including a City Hall but no formal action was taken. Subsequently, the City Council approved a $300,000 decision card for the 2023-2024 budget to fund a study to define the cost, process and options for a new Civic Campus with City Hall.

Staff is requesting the Council adopt a Resolution directing the City Manager to pursue a Civic Campus with City Hall to formalize that direction. This will launch the process to begin selecting at least two sites of an appropriate size for a campus (3+ acres). Staff will share those sites and the criteria used to winnow down siting options with the Council in an open public meeting and seek Council approval to take out options on two properties while the City conducts due diligence (environmental issues, infrastructure availability, etc.). Upon receipt of that analysis, staff will recommend one site to City Council to begin negotiation of a Purchase and Sale Agreement.

Concurrent with the site evaluation process, staff request authority to let a Request for Qualifications for an owner’s representative. The owner’s representative is a consultant or consultant team with expertise in site acquisition, due diligence, and construction from concept to completion. Because they are under contract and not on staff, they will be engaged only as needed for their expertise (usually charged hourly).

Following Council’s approval of a contract with the owner’s representative firm, staff request Council authority to hire an on-staff project manager to serve a limited term. This would be an exempt position with an estimated life span of five to seven years.

There are numerous steps to follow for this multi-year development project; however, the combination of this authorizing Resolution and direction to proceed with a contract for an owner’s representative and hiring a limited-term project manager will successfully launch the effort.

BUDGET SIGNIFICANCE:
The 2023-2024 budget includes $300,000 for this project in the Facility Construction CIP Fund (#306). This amount should be sufficient to fund the contract for the owner’s representative and the salary for the project manager through 2024. A future decision card will request additional funds as needed.

COMMITTEE REVIEW(S) AND RECOMMENDATION(S):
This Resolution and request for direction has not been reviewed at committee. The ARC Architects study of City Hall and the Maintenance Facility were previously reviewed by the Administration and Finance Committee in July 2021.

ALTERNATIVE(S):
1. Direct staff to pursue development of a new City Hall only.
2. Direct staff to forego contracting for an owner’s representative; however, that expertise doesn’t exist on staff.
3. Direct staff to forego hiring a limited-term project manager; however, that expertise and capacity doesn’t exist on staff.

Attachments:

Following the study session, the council will convene its regular meeting at 6 p.m. During this session, councilmembers will focus on discussing the state legislative wrap-up, and will hear from Rep. Karen Keiser and Rep. Tina Orwall from the 33rd district, who are expected to be in attendance.

To access the agenda and supporting documents for the council meeting, please click here.

The council urges all residents to engage actively in these vital discussions that will shape the city’s future. Participation in these meetings provides an excellent opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process and voice opinions on matters that affect the community.