April 2022 – Vision 2050 Public Meetings
Liam Garland, Director of Public Works, has been leading a series of online meetings in which he imparts a lot of information about the Vision 2050 process and asks for input. In addition to public comments during the meeting, he says his department welcomes emailed comments and questions. See the Vision 2050 website for the…
Read MoreMarch 2022 – Presentation to City Council
It appears that good seismic retrofits to both buildings can be done for less than half the previously estimated cost, with a bonus of more usable space!
Read MoreMarch 2022 – Big State Grant for Park
The City of Berkeley has been awarded $591,666 for improvements to the fountain area of Civic Center Park through the Caltrans Clean California Local Grant Program. After many years of planning, this will finally provide for installation of the bronze turtles and medallions designed by Native artists for the Turtle Island Monument. It will also…
Read MoreFebruary 2022 – City Reports on Measure T1
The City has sent out a 16-page illustrated brochure about how the 2016 Infrastructure Bond Measure T1 has been spent so far. Under “Planning Studies” is the following entry about the Civic Center Area: It’s a little worrisome that the drawing includes the Council Chamber addition to the 2180 Milvia building that our group has…
Read MoreJanuary 2022 – City Gets Report on Building Leaks
A new report by engineering firm Allana Buick & Bers documents water leaks and related issues in the Maudelle Shirek and Veterans Buildings, with an estimated cost to properly repair them totaling $3.4 million. Fortunately, there don’t seem to be any current leaks, so Public Works would like to combine the repairs with seismic retrofitting…
Read MoreJanuary 2022 – City Council Discusses Proposed Bond Measure(s)
On January 20, 2022, 6 p.m., the Council held a work session to Discuss Vision 2050, Infrastructure Priorities, Stakeholder and Community Engagement, and City’s Bonding Capacity; and Seek Direction on November 2022 Revenue Measure(s) The Berkeleyside report on the meeting is here.
Read MoreDecember 2021 – Results of City Survey
The results of “a community survey to inform a potential Vision 2050 revenue measure” (here) have both Civic Center items near the bottom in terms of importance compared to other needs. But “Improving seismic safety of historic buildings in Civic Center, including Old City Hall and the Veterans Building” was rated extremely, very or somewhat…
Read MoreDecember 2021 – City Conducting Online Survey
The City of Berkeley has launched a survey to get community input about a proposed bond measure in 2022. It lists many potential infrastructure projects, including “Old City Hall and Veterans Building” and one on seismic upgrades to city buildings and asks you to prioritize them. There are also questions regarding how much additional property…
Read MoreNovember 2021
Public Works has had the two buildings inspected for water damage and estimates made for repairs and protection against future water damage. The estimates come to about $2 million for the Veterans Building and $1.5 million for the Maudelle Shirek building.
Read MoreOctober 2021
Liam Garland, Director of Public Works, provided a timeline for the next phase of Civic Center planning. During the first half of 2022 the City will get more precise cost estimates for the needed seismic work and will hire consultants for the next phase. This will include more detailed community planning for the specific program…
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