By Tony Hicks – The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will decide today whether to award a contract worth more than $58 million to Webcor Construction to demolish the former county administration building and old jail complex in Martinez, and design and build a new county office building at the site.
Buit in 1964, the 12-story building at 651 Pine Street was decommissioned in December when the county opened its new administration building on nearby Escobar Street.
The new building would likely be three stories, with parking on the first level, and include plaza and open space.
According to a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting, “There is substantial interest from multiple county departments for additional office space in the downtown Martinez area.” Some of the departments mentioned as candidates to move to a new building include the sheriff’s department, district’s attorney’s office, public defender’s office, health services, and office of racial justice and social equity.
The county received five responses to its request-for-proposals for the project, with its selection committee choosing Webcor’s proposal as the best for the county. The county will require a labor agreement, a True Waste Certification documenting more than 95 percent of demolition and construction waste be reused or recycled, a building entrance with universal access features, a plaza design that uses historic materials from the historic old county jail in the old jail’s building footprint and use electric systems that reduce the building’s carbon footprint and reduce energy costs.
Funding for the project would come from $45 million in bonds issued in 2021. The rest would come from the county general fund capital reserves.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meets virtually at 9 a.m. Tuesday and can be found at www.contracosta.ca.gov.
“The county will require a labor agreement,”
This is code for the union kick back provision. Union contractors only. At minimum it added 20% to the cost of the project. An extra $12 million.
Democrats love the union, and unions love Democrats. A strong harmonious relationship made possible by our tax dollars.
JRocks, The County already had a mandate in place that requires any project in excess of a $1 million dollars be governed by a PLA which is just fancy jargon for union labor or oversight.
Correct Famous,
That means every single CCC tax payer funded construction project over $1 million costs the tax payers an extra 20%. Union votes aren’t cheap.
Are these the same people who gave them selfs a raise? So they also want a new building? Let me gusses they will have to take time off around the holidays because of construction, while they enjoy the raise they gave themselves.
Turn old Jail into a “Unique Bed n Breakfast Experience”.
There’s got to some retired Deputy Sheriffs who would like to recreate “Good Ole Days”, purely for educational reasons you understand.
Would make money for the County ! ! ! Could call it Rainey’s resort, . . .
No wait, . . . that was the FARM,
only thing missing there a few decades back was horse back riding.
They can’t demo the jail. It’s a historic building. Try again idiots. I got the feathers
Read much? The jail is not the building that will be demolished. The McBrien Administration Building located at 651 Pine across from the old jail will be demolished. Guess who’s an idiot?
@Reason, perhaps I just need some coffee, but it looks like both are being demolished.
“to demolish the former county administration building and old jail complex in Martinez”
“that uses historic materials from the historic old county jail in the old jail’s building footprint”
One thing is certain. SOMEBODY here feels like a moron right now.
And I haven’t even commented yet!
Perfect example of an arrogant leftist. Reason…yeah. How’s that crow taste?
@reason
I give up. Who is the idiot?
Waste of money… Plenty of buildings in the rest of the county to support many of these functions. Martinez is a terrible county seat location, and county offices should really be moved to a more accessible space near one of the local freeways. *Hint* why not package the first dev on CNWS land?
BFF Out!
Space for the “office of racial justice and social equity?” How ‘bout the broom closet?
Maybe the dumpster?
Fixing the old jail is easy. Just tear out the old electrical and plumbing, get rid of the asbestos throughout, and drill multiple holes in the Vermont granite so you can make it earthquake safe. With those ugly rods going thru the structure. Then you can begin restoration. It shouldn’t cost more, then ten or twenty million
Looks like a cheaper and more central location could be repurposing Sears at the Sunvalley Mall for this. During the transition, maybe some of these useless people could learn how to sell dishwashers.
Sears owns the land that their store sits on, so they wont be selling anytime soon to local government.
Change their name from County Supervisors to Drunken Sailors.
I beg your pardon?
As a former drunken sailor, I take great offense at your thoughtless suggestion. Drunken sailors always quit spending once they’ve run out of money.
Cowellian….. imagine being a drunken sailor who finds more money in his pocket every time he reaches into it……it’s not even his money, and it never runs out!
I am going to CRY when they when they tear down the 12 story building.
I remember when it was built. My dad worked for the county as building maint
and there were times he would go in on Saturdays and I went with him. I would run up stairs from the bottom to the 12th floor! There was a cafeteria on the 12th floor. It’s a LANDMARK. Like the Cowell smoke stack! JERKS!!
As the old jail goes, EARTHQUAKE SAFE??? It’s been there for over 100 YEARS!
.
The old building is a blight on the low scale of downtown. It’s hideous.
.