BART Board approves project team to build new headquarters with priority of small, minority-owned business involvement

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board of Directors approved to award a $58 million Progressive Design-Build contract to Turner Construction Company and RIM Architecture to design and building the new BART headquarters at 2150 Webster Street in Oakland.

BART purchased the building Dec. 10, 2019, to avoid a 60-percent rent increase and save at least $210 million in public funds over the 25-year period by owning.

The agency established an overall 30 percent participation goal for small businesses. Turner and RIM have committed to 32 percent participation. This contract is one of the first at the agency to include a liquidated damages provision should the contractor fail to meet its established small business commitment.

BART’s Office of Civil Rights, through its Small Business Support Services Program, offered outreach and assistance to small, local businesses throughout the process including virtual matchmaking sessions held at the request of the district by each of the three pre-qualified proposers. Each pre-qualified proposer allocated a full eight hours to participate in these virtual matchmaking sessions with small businesses.

“We are excited that the winning team has committed to exceed our small business participation goal,” said Maceo Wiggins, director of BART’s Office of Civil Rights. “As we transition into project delivery, we’re focused on community engagement, creating opportunities for firms to work on our new headquarters and providing support services to ensure success for firms working on the project. It’s important that we do our part to support Oakland and the regional economic recovery and this is a major project that can help us achieve that goal.”

Work under the contract will include, but not be limited to, furnishing, management coordination, professional services, labor, equipment, materials and other services to perform the design and construction of the new BART Headquarters.

The Design-Build Proposals for the work were received May 5, 2020. A nine-person committee representing various groups throughout the district was formed to review the proposals and interview the three firms that qualified through the Request for Qualifications process. The board approval will become official after the protest period expires and contracts are finalized. BART is projecting a Design-Build kick- off meeting in July.

The $142-million purchase of the building with closing costs and $85 million in interior construction has been financed by a 25-year sales tax bond.

The new BART Headquarters is 244,287-square feet accommodating 1,300 employees. BART is scheduled to move in Spring 2021.