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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 18, 2013 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-v <br /> SUBJECT: Whitted Permanent Meeting Facility Site Work <br /> DEPARTMENT: Asset Management Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Schematic Site and Exterior Design Jeff Thompson, 919-245-2658 <br /> PURPOSE: To: <br /> 1) Authorize staff to move forward with bid document preparation and bidding of the exterior <br /> site work (grading, paving, site lighting, site landscaping) in order that this work can be <br /> accomplished during the summer and fall months of 2013; and <br /> 2) Authorize the Manager to award the bid and sign the construction contract for the exterior <br /> site work during the summer break. <br /> BACKGROUND: On May 7, 2013, the Board of County Commissioners ("BOCC") authorized <br /> staff to move forward with the necessary schematic design work for the permanent Board <br /> meeting facility to be constructed on the 2nd floor of the Whitted "A" building. The full project <br /> schematic design is currently scheduled to be presented to the Board of County Commissioners <br /> during its regular meeting on September 5, 2013. The anticipated Board action after this <br /> schematic review is to authorize staff and the designer, Corley, Redfoot Architects, to prepare <br /> full construction and bid documents for a construction start in early 2014 and an opening of the <br /> facility in June 2014. <br /> The necessary site work is constant and is independent of the interior work (and the alternative <br /> design configurations) that will be presented to the Board in September. This site work can be <br /> accomplished prior to the beginning of the interior renovation during the optimal summer and <br /> fall months. <br /> This work will yield asphalt paved parking surfaces on the current gravel areas south of Tryon <br /> Street as well as east of the Whitted "B" building, along with much improved site lighting and <br /> area landscaping. By allowing the design and construction work to begin prior to the September <br /> 5t" Board meeting, this outside work can be completed no later than October 2013 for the <br /> benefit of the Whitted visitors, the neighbors surrounding the facility, and County employees <br /> working in the Whitted facilities. This phase would be complete prior to the bid award for the <br /> interior project work as well as the handicap ramp system that would access the north facade of <br /> the auditorium on the 2nd floor. <br /> The proposed uses require 192 off-street, paved and landscaped parking spaces. The facility <br /> currently has 197 off-street spaces. County and Hillsborough staffs have worked together to <br /> accommodate this requirement with additional paved and landscaped parking in under-utilized <br />