Date: February 7, 2018 To: Through: From: Subject: Recreation and Park Commission Capital Committee Philip A. Ginsburg, General Manager Dawn Kamalanathan, Director of Capital and Planning Division Reem Assaf, P.E., Project Manager Golden Gate Park Tennis Center Community Opportunity Fund Agenda Wording Discussion and possible action to approve a Community Opportunity Fund award for design and construction services for the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center Project in the amount of $3,000,000. Strategic Plan Reference Strategy 1: Inspire Public Space: Keep today s parks safe, clean, and fun; promote our parks historic and cultural heritage; and build the great parks of tomorrow. Objective 1.4: Strengthen the quality of existing parks and facilities. Objective 1.4: Preserve and celebrate historic and cultural resources. Strategy 2: Inspire Play: Promote active living, well-being and community for San Francisco s diverse and growing population. Objective 2.1: Strengthen the quality, responsiveness and accessibility of recreation programs. Objective 2.2: Strengthen and promote the safety, health and well-being of San Francisco s youth and seniors. Strategy 3: Inspire Investment: Through community engagement, advocacy, and partnerships, cultivate more financial resources to keep the San Francisco s parks and programs accessible for all. Objective 3.1: Increase public investment to better align with infrastructure needs and service expectations. Objective 3.3: Cultivate increased philanthropic support.
Background Information The Community Opportunity Fund provides an opportunity for neighborhoods, community groups, and park partners to nominate capital projects from Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond. The Community Opportunity Fund (COF) has three main policy goals: Foster community stewardship Enhance park identity and experience Leverage additional resources from the community Encouraged by the success of this program in the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond, for the 2012 Parks Bond, the Recreation and Park Department proposed an expansion of the Community Opportunity Fund. The $12 million allocation is split into two $6 million dollar programs. The first is the traditional COF carried over from the 2008 Bond in which residents request up to $500,000 in funding for improvements to a specific park. The second fund, the Community Opportunity Fund Partnership Project Fund, is intended to support larger projects with major philanthropic support and resources leveraged from other sources. Per the 2012 Bond report, the Partnership Project Fund will do the following: The Partnership Projects fund will support larger scale projects that have: Completed environmental review, as governed by the California Environmental Quality Act Provided evidence of broad based community support Obtained commitments of significant match in philanthropic funding against requested bond funds. Demonstrated consistency with existing department and city policy and capital planning documents. At the recommendation of the General Manager, the Recreation and Park Commission has the authority to allocate this funding to a project that meets these criteria. Golden Gate Park Tennis Center Project Description Background The project site is an approximately 185,000 square foot (sf) area within the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center located within Golden Gate Park, and operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. The Golden Gate Tennis Center is bounded by John F. Kennedy Boulevard to the north, Nancy Pelosi to the east, Bowling Green Drive to the west, and Kezar Drive to the south. The tennis courts were constructed between 1901 and 1937 and are a contributor to the Golden Gate Park National Register Historic District. The existing 3,200 square-foot clubhouse was completed in 1960. Design Status The proposed project has completed the planning process after four well-attended community meetings and has a final proposed concept that is well-supported by the community. In January 2018, the project was awarded a Categorical Exemption by the San Francisco Planning
Department. Schematic Design and Design Development will follow once approval from the Commission is secured. The project will then secure the appropriate approvals and permitting before beginning construction in early 2019. Tennis Center Construction Scope The final concept for the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center Renovation project includes 17 regulation-size tennis courts with improved drainage and circulation with spacing guided by USTA regulations, one pickleball court, an enhanced entryway, landscaping and patios for an improved user experience, and new sports lighting for night-play. All courts will be ADA accessible. A new 7800 sq ft clubhouse will replace the existing 2900 sq ft clubhouse and would enable the tennis center to expand its existing programming and establish new programs and services. Below is a detailed narrative explaining how the Golden Gate Tennis Center Project meets the aforementioned criteria for funding from the COF Partnership Project Fund. Provided evidence of broad based community support. The outreach process was conducted in 2016-2018 with the goal of understanding the community s desires and to ensure that they are reflected in the concept plan. The project team first began outreach by reaching out to key stakeholders which included neighbors, high school coaches, users and staff. An idea for an approach on the project was developed at this meeting. Following this, the first community meeting was held in March 2016 and was attended by approximately 100 people. At this meeting, the project team worked to identify the community vision, goals and priorities for the project. The following community meeting in November 2016 was attended by approximately 150 people and identified site programming preferences from the community. There was an Open House in February 2017 which was attended by 50 people, mostly seniors, to describe the project progress. On January 10, 2018, the final community meeting was held, to an audience of approximately 200 people, where the project team produced a final preferred concept for review and approval by the community stakeholders. The concept was shown on boards and also via a 3D model. The proposed plan obtained wide approval and consensus from the community stakeholders and meeting attendees. Obtained commitments of significant match in philanthropic funding against requested bond funds. This project has received significant philanthropic support including over $15 million from three major donors, $6.635 million from the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, $6.6 million from Taube Philanthropies and $2.1 million from the Koret Foundation. It is a condition of the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund s grant that the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department allocate a $3 million match to this project. Demonstrated consistency with existing department and city policy and capital planning documents. The Golden Gate Park (GGP) Master Plan, adopted by the RPC in 1998, includes numerous objectives and policies intended to guide improvements to this unique cultural and recreational resource. Several policy statements are relevant to the proposed project, including Objective I Land Use and Activities, which states that land use activities should contribute to the mission
and purpose of the park and be appropriate to the land use purpose. Objective I, Policy C goes on to identify tennis as one of the major recreation land use activities serving the park s mission. The project is consistent with this policy because it enhances the recreational function of the tennis complex, which has been in the present location over 100 years. The modernization of the tennis complex will maintain the existing footprint of this land use, consistent with Objective IV Buildings, Structures, and Monuments, which seeks to minimize the impact of buildings on the open space of GGP. Objective IV, Policy C addresses modifications to existing buildings, indicating that structural modifications resulting in expansion of an existing facility should address a clearly demonstrated need for a defined service to the public that cannot be met by modifications within the existing building. The policy also states alternatives outside the park should be considered; the expansion should not necessitate new parking or roads or have a deleterious effect on the park landscape; should be of high architectural quality; and should minimize visual impacts on the park environment. The proposed improvements to the tennis complex meets these policy goals. Expansion of the building is necessary to expand RPD s Tennis and Learning Center program (TLC), a youth development program that promotes academic achievement, health and wellness and social emotional development for underserved youth, through the sport of tennis. Currently, TLC serves elementary school children at three neighborhood recreation centers Palega in the Portola community, Hamilton in Western Addition, and Betty Ann Ong in Chinatown. RPD will be opening a fourth neighborhood TLC site in the fall of 2018 at Youngblood Coleman in Bayview Hunters Point and fifth site in 2019 in SOMA. When the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center reopens to the public, its expanded clubhouse will include a hub for TLC with classroom space, offices, kitchenette and storage space dedicated to serving middle school children engaged in the TLC program. Currently, the one room Clubhouse can only accommodate ping-pong play with no additional ongoing programs or services possible. The building expansion will enable more people to be served as well as allow for new programs and services, including a pro-shop providing basic necessities such as balls, visors and grips; restringing; vending food services; a catering kitchen with spaces for events and functions; a rec room for ping pong play as well as overflow TLC space; improved locker room facilities; offices for administrative staff and pros; and a more functional and welcoming facility for both staff and patrons. Given the integrated nature of the programming offered within the tennis clubhouse and courts, relocation of the tennis clubhouse outside of GGP would not be feasible. No new roadways or parking, other than bicycle parking, will be required by the project nor will it be detrimental to views of the park s open space. The entire renovation project has been designed with the objective of maintaining the facility within the natural shelter of the tree-topped berms that both screen the courts from wind and create a lush park setting for players within the bowl. A local architecture firm, EHDD, was selected to lead the design in part because of their affection and sensitivity to San Francisco s natural environment. They have designed other local treasures such as the Exploratorium at Pier 15, the Lands End Lookout, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Berkeley Art Museum. Further, at the time of the GGP Master plan, expansion of the tennis club and addition of lighting was anticipated. Chapter 6 of the GGP Master Plan discusses recreation in the park, and indicates that night lighting of the courts was under consideration. The addition of night lighting
will greatly increase playtime at this facility by over 20,000 per year. Chapter 7 discusses park concessions and indicates an expansion of the tennis clubhouse was being considered at the time to improve services. As discussed above, the proposed project will significantly improve the services offered from the tennis club building and ensure the tennis complex will serve San Franciscans for many future generations. Community Opportunity Funds and Amount: This is the second allocation of funds from the Community Opportunity Fund Partnership Projects Fund funded by the 2012 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Parks General Obligation Bond. It is a $6 million fund, the initial allocation of $3 million was awarded to the Geneva Car Barn and this allocation of $3 million will utilize the remaining balance of the account. Proposed Community Opportunity Fund Program The scope of work is for project design and construction services for the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center renovation. The proposed design and construction improvements includes: Permits and building fees, Arts Commission CDR, Mayor s Office of Disability CEQA, RPD Project Manager fee, and construction of exterior fencing and paving. Sources & Uses of Funding Golden Gate Park Tennis Center SF Parks Alliance RPD EXPENSES Construction $15,312,716 $1,648,277 Permit, Agency Fees and Entitlements $34,000 $505,000 Design $2,741,000 $0 Services and Other Fees $1,494,650 $150,000 Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment $396,100 $0 Administration and Management $536,000 $545,000 Campaign Expenses $290,500 $0 Contingency $2,495,034 $151,723 TOTAL EXPENSES $23,300,000 $3,000,000 SOURCES 2012 Parks Bond $0 $3,000,000 Private Grants $23,300,000 $0 TOTAL SOURCES $23,300,000 $3,000,000
Project Schedule Planning: September 2015 August 2017 Design: August 2017 November 2018 Bid Phase: November 2018 February 2019 Construction Phase: February 2019- August 2020 Environmental Review The project has been reviewed by the Planning Department and was issued a Categorical Exemption under Class 1 (California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15301) and Class 3 (Guidelines section 15303). Staff Recommendation Staff recommends that the Commission approve the Community Opportunity Fund award for the design and construction services for the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center in the amount of $3,000,000. Supported By See Attachment B Opposed By Henry Brodkin John Melvin Attachments A. Concept Design Package B. TCSF List of Supporters