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Bond Modernization Program Press Release (March 4, 2004): Fields Contracts Awarded

At a special meeting on March 3, the Board of Trustees of the Tamalpais Union High School District awarded the third and fourth of five contracts for modernization of athletic fields at Tamalpais, Drake and Redwood High Schools. These projects, part of the District’s $121 million Measure A bond modernization program, are arguably the most visible of the entire bond program, which also includes hazardous materials abatement; classroom renovations; upgrades to electrical, roofing, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and technology systems; improved disabled access and earthquake safety upgrades; a new performing arts center at Tamalpais High School; a new student center at Drake High School; and a new theater lobby and modular classrooms at Redwood High School.

The three fields projects, cumulatively valued at nearly $13 million including support costs and contingencies, were designed by Carducci Associates of San Francisco. The football / soccer / track fields will include FieldTurf synthetic grass and all-weather track by California Track. The scope of work for these portions of the projects also includes new bleachers, goal-posts, and track venues. Extensive subsurface work is expected to improve drainage problems at Redwood and Tamalpais High Schools.

The varsity baseball and softball fields will have new bleachers, backstops, fencing, cinder-block dugouts, and playing surfaces. Redwood’s varsity baseball field, being relocated to Moody Field on the south side of the campus, will have synthetic grass on its infield, thanks to a donation from the Redwood Dugout Club.

The first of the five fields contracts, completed for approximately $50,000 in October 2003 by Maggiora & Ghilotti of San Rafael, involved removing a berm adjacent to Moody Field. The last contract, for Redwood’s varsity softball field, will be bid in 2005 after completion of the building project and removal of the temporary portables from that field.

The second fields contract, for Redwood’s varsity baseball and football/soccer/track field, was awarded on February 10, 2004. The successful bidders for the three current projects are all based in the Bay Area, and have each been in business for 25 years. All have the requisite experience building or renovating athletic fields with synthetic turf and track surfaces.

The Redwood Fields contract was awarded to Robert A. Bothman, Inc. of San Jose, whose bid of $3.7 million was within 5% of the project’s budget. Bothman’s previous experience includes St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, and several community colleges in the Bay Area.

The Drake Fields contractor is ValleyCrest Development, Inc. of Pleasanton. The final bid price of $2.6 million was within 3% of budget. ValleyCrest recently renovated the athletic fields at the College of Marin and has worked on large stadium projects such as Invesco Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos.

Interstate Grading & Paving of South San Francisco was awarded the Tamalpais Fields contract with a bid of $3.4 million, within 2% of budget. Interstate’s previous experience includes schools and parks throughout the Bay Area, including four high school fields for the Sequoia Union High School District in San Mateo County.

The Redwood project commenced the last week in February with fencing and mobilization activities along Doherty Drive in Larkspur. Occupants of the District’s Carlisle Building, adjacent to the construction site, will park in the Redwood High School parking lot, along Doherty Drive, or in the Corporation Yard parking lot for the duration of construction, since the Carlisle parking lot is being reconfigured. The football/ soccer/ track portion of the project is scheduled to be completed in early August; the baseball field will be ready for play in February 2005.

The Drake and Tamalpais projects will begin pre-mobilization activities in mid-March, with hard construction scheduled to start on April 15. Construction on these campuses will result in complete closure of all fields through the summer. Football/ soccer/ track fields are scheduled for completion in October, with baseball fields ready for play in February 2005.

All three fields projects bring particular challenges to the construction teams. Because Drake’s campus is unusually small, and three contractors will be working on the site simultaneously, providing adequate staging areas and site access will require extra coordination efforts. Drake and Redwood both have creeks in the vicinity of the construction zone, requiring best management practices for storm-water and construction water runoff. Redwood and Tamalpais also face significant ground-water challenges, with flood-plains, Bay mud and tidal influences affecting at least a portion of each field.

To gear up for the complexity of managing three simultaneous field projects along with five active building contracts, the District’s construction management team, Vanir Construction Management, is adding a full-time construction manager with particular expertise in field construction. The District’s geotechnical engineer, Miller Pacific Engineering, will assign a full-time geotechnical inspector to the project during all earthwork construction; and Carducci Associates will provide full construction administration services. The field teams will also include each site’s primary construction manager, project engineer, and State-certified project inspector.

As always, questions about any of the District’s modernization projects may be directed to V-Anne Chernock, Director of Facilities Modernization, at 415-924-7624.

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