DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Capital Improvements
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Mike Frisbie, P.E.
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Council District 2
SUBJECT:
Funding Agreement: San Antonio Botanical Center
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the execution of a Funding Agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Botanical Society in the amount not-to-exceed $5,050,000.00, a 2017-2022 Bond Funded Project for the San Antonio Botanical Center, located in Council District 2.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On May 6, 2017 the voters approved the 2017-2022 Bond Program, which authorized $5,050,000.00 for the San Antonio Botanical Center. These funds will be used towards Phase 2 improvements that would align with the San Antonio Botanical Center Master Plan. San Antonio Botanical Center provides education and hosts events for the public.
Phase 1 of the San Antonio Botanical Center Master Plan included $1,200,000.00 from the 2012 Bond Program and $9,100,001.00 raised by San Antonio Botanical Garden Society, Inc., which funded a parking garden, welcome and discovery garden, entry display garden, culinary garden, gift shop, outdoor kitchen, and the Family Adventure Garden. Construction was completed in October 2017.
Phase 2 improvements will include a new Education and Event Center with both an entry veranda and an event lawn veranda, an Event Lawn which will add outdoor space for events, a water wall fountain, and renovations to the Wisteria Arbor, which are existing columns and arbor that have wisteria growing up the columns and over the arches. Total cost of construction for this phase is estimated to cost $10,255,000, including the $5,050,000.00 funded from the 2017 Bond Program. The City’s funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis, once the construction is verified and approved.
The project construction began in February 2018 with $5,205,000.00 already secured by San Antonio Botanical Society, Inc. and is estimated to be completed by November 2019. The facility will remain open to the public and operational during construction.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract. The Goal Setting Committee set a 28% Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) subcontracting goal and a 5% African American Business Enterprise subcontracting goal.
ISSUE:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of a Funding Agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Botanical Society in the amount not-to-exceed $5,050,000.00, a 2017 Bond Funded Project for San Antonio Botanical Center, located in Council District 2.
Phase 2 improvements will include a new Education and Event Center with both an entry veranda and an event lawn veranda, an Event Lawn which will add outdoor space for events, a water wall fountain, and renovations to the Wisteria Arbor, which are existing columns and arbor that have wisteria growing up the columns and over the arches. Total cost of construction for this phase is estimated to cost $10,255,000, including the $5,050,000.00 funded from the 2017 Bond Program. The City’s funding will be provided on a reimbursement basis, once the construction is verified and approved.
The project construction began in February 2018 and is estimated to be completed by November 2019.
ALTERNATIVES:
City Council could choose not to approve this agreement; however, doing so would reduce the planned improvements as defined by the Master Plan and would not deliver the improvements voted and approved by the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes a Funding Agreement between the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Botanical Society in the amount not-to-exceed $5,050,000.00 available from the 2017-2022 Bond Funded Project. Funds are included in the 2018-2023 Capital Improvement Program Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance, and to authorize the Funding Agreement with the San Antonio Botanical Society in an amount not to exceed $5,050,000.00 for the San Antonio Botanical Center.