Construction of the Union Square/Market Street Station, shown here, is included in the major contract awarded earlier this week.

This week the SFMTA awarded the contract to construct the Central Subway’s stations, train tracks and operating systems to California-based firm Tutor Perini. Tutor Perini’s bid of $840 million was the lowest of three bids received for the contract, SFMTA Contract No. 1300, the largest and final major construction contract for the Central Subway Project.

After review, Agency staff determined that the bid meets contract solicitation requirements and recommended approval. At their meeting Tuesday, the SFMTA Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve the award.

With 25 percent of the contract amount going to certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms, Tutor Perini significantly exceeded the SBE participation goal of 20 percent. In addition, Tutor Perini will set aside at least 50 percent of the contract’s trucking and hauling work for certified SBE firms, invest at least $1.5 million in hiring socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for entry-level jobs, and provide socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with at least 40,000 hours of on-the-job training for construction management positions.

Under Contract 1300, Tutor Perini will construct the following elements of the Central Subway:

• The Chinatown Station, a subway station with an entrance at Stockton and Washington streets;
• The Union Square/Market Street Station, a subway station with entrances at Stockton and Geary streets and Stockton and Ellis streets;
• A concourse connecting the Union Square/Market Street Station to the existing Powell Street Muni/BART Station;
• The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station, a subway station with an entrance at 4th and Clementina streets;
• The 4th and Brannan Station, a surface-level station on 4th Street between Brannan and Bryant streets;
• Surface tracks on 4th Street between 4th and King streets and the subway tunnel portal on 4th Street between Bryant and Harrison streets;
• Trackbed, tracks, switches and train control systems within the Central Subway tunnel.

In the coming weeks and months, Tutor Perini and the SFMTA will mobilize to begin the major construction associated with the contract. Construction will continue through 2018, with the Central Subway scheduled to open in 2019.

These renderings show the designs of the Central Subway’s three subway stations and one surface-level station.

Yesterday at the headquarters of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), bids were opened for the contract to construct the Central Subway’s stations, track and systems. The three bids for the contract, SFMTA Contract No. 1300, were submitted by the following firms:

• Tutor Perini
• Amoroso, FCC, Southland JV
• Skanska, Shimmick, Stacy & Witbeck JV

The apparent lowest bidder is Tudor Perini with a bid of $840 million. Although the bids are higher than estimated, they fall within the project budget of $1.6 billion. We will work with our policy board and funding partners to move forward with this major contract.

This contract is the final construction contract for completing the Central Subway. After the contract is awarded, construction of the Central Subway’s stations, tracks and systems will commence in SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

We’ll keep you updated as the review process proceeds and a contractor is selected. You can view a PDF of the bids here. You may also download the full bid packages at the following links:

• Tutor Perini: Bid Documents | Good Faith | SBE Form 2B | 5 Day Docs Pt. 1 | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 2 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 1 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 2 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 3 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 4 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 5
• Amoroso, FCC, Southland JV: Bid Documents | Good Faith | SBE Form 2B | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 1 | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 2 | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 3 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 1 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 2
• Skanska, Shimmick, Stacy & Witbeck JV: Bid Documents | Good Faith | Good Faith Package 1 | Good Faith Vendor Not-Bidding | SBE Form 2B | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 1 | 5 Day Docs. Pt. 2 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 1 | Bidder’s Qualifications Pt. 2

To view more design renderings of the Central Subway’s three subway stations and one surface-level station, check out our Flickr page.

A recent prime/sub-contractor meet-and-greet event for the Central Subway stations, track and systems contract.

The SFMTA invites all interested Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Local Business Enterprises (LBEs) to participate in a series of small business opportunity meetings with the potential prime contractors for the contract to construct the Central Subway stations, track and systems (Contract CN-1300). Each potential prime contractor will be holding a meeting to inform interested SBE firms of their bid preparation procedures, present potential opportunities for SBE firms and provide an opportunity to interact with representatives from the potential prime contractor teams.

A schedule of meetings can be viewed in this flier (PDF). The meetings will be held at the SFMTA headquarters at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, in the Candlestick/Corona Heights conference rooms on the 6th floor.

In addition, the SFMTA is providing technical assistance to small, disadvantaged and local businesses in preparation for the procurement of this major contract. More information, including office hours and a summary of available services, is available here (PDF).

The image above shows renderings of the four Central Subway stations. Clockwise from the top left: Chinatown Station, Union Square/Market Street Station, 4th and Brannan Station, Yerba Buena/Moscone Station. Additional renderings can be viewed online here.

This week a contract to construct the stations, track and operating systems for the Central Subway was advertised. The estimated $720 to $750 million contract includes construction of three subway stations, one surface-level station, train tracks and other components of the T Third Line extension through SoMa, Union Square and Chinatown.

The contract includes work that was previously divided into four separate construction contracts. Combining the contracts will allow the Central Subway Program to save time and money by eliminating constraints involved in coordinating and integrating four separate construction packages. It will also provide for a stronger and more consistent program to provide opportunities for small businesses and local residents seeking jobs.

“By providing much-needed job training for out-of-work San Franciscans and incorporating strong Small Business Enterprise participation goals, the Central Subway will benefit our community long before it is in service,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “As we build this crucial addition to our public transit system, this major contract will contribute greatly to our local economy.”

Combining the contracts has no impact on the Central Subway’s $1.6 billion budget. Bids for the contract are due January 23, 2013.

A meet-and-greet event for prospective prime contractors and Small Business Enterprise (SBE) firms will be held by the end of the year.

The contract includes several provisions to encourage local hiring and provide opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged San Franciscans. It incorporates a robust Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal of 20 percent. In addition, the winning contractor will be required to set aside 50 percent of the trucking and hauling work for certified SBE firms.

The contract also includes $1.5 million to hire socially and economically disadvantaged individuals for entry-level jobs, such as general clean-up and pedestrian safety monitoring. In addition, the winning contractor will establish a Construction Management Trainee Program and to provide socially and economically disadvantaged individuals with at least 40,000 hours of on-the-job training for construction management positions. The contractor will work with the SFMTA Contract Compliance Office and community-based organizations to identify applicants for these jobs from the neighborhoods along the Central Subway alignment and elsewhere in San Francisco.

Construction of the following elements of the Central Subway is included in the contract:

• The Chinatown Station, a subway station with an entrance at Stockton and Washington streets;
• The Union Square/Market Street Station, a subway station with entrances at Stockton and Geary streets and Stockton and Ellis streets;
• A concourse connecting the Union Square/Market Street Station to the existing Powell Street Muni/BART Station;
• The Yerba Buena/Moscone Station, a subway station with an entrance at 4th and Clementina streets;
• The 4th and Brannan Station, a surface-level station on 4th Street between Brannan and Bryant streets;
• Surface tracks on 4th Street between 4th and King streets and the subway tunnel portal on 4th Street between Bryant and Harrison streets;
• Trackbed, tracks, switches and train control systems within the Central Subway tunnel.

A pre-bid conference for the contract is scheduled for November 27. A meet-and-greet for prospective prime contractors and SBE firms will be held by the end of the year.

More information about the contract is available on our project website’s Current Contracts page and in this press release from the SFMTA. Bid documents are available online here.

Bids for the contract to construct the Chinatown Station, depicted here, were opened today.

Today at the headquarters of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), bids were opened for the contract to construct the Central Subway’s Chinatown Station. The four bids for the contract were submitted by the following firms:

• Frontier-Kemper/Tutor-Saliba Joint Venture – $239,420,700
• Barnard Impregilo Healy Joint Venture – $397,854,350
• SJ Amoroso/FCC/Southland Joint Venture – $269,997,000
• Shimmick/Judlau Joint Venture – $290,654,375

The bids will now be reviewed to ensure they comply with all applicable requirements. We’ll keep you updated as the bidding process proceeds and a contractor is selected to construct this beautiful, conveniently located station.

The Union Square/Market Street Station will connect residents and visitors to the heart of Union Square and downtown.

The contract to construct the Central Subway Union Square/Market Street Station has gone out for bid, marking the latest advance in this major improvement to San Francisco’s public transportation system.

The centrally located station will connect residents and visitors to San Francisco’s vibrant Union Square and downtown, home to the city’s highest concentration of jobs and an outstanding array of hotels, entertainment venues and restaurants.

The Central Subway and the Union Square/Market Street Station will significantly speed up travel through this busy area and improve connections to local and regional transit options – all while enhancing the aesthetic of this world-renowned destination:

• The station, a subway station, will have entrances in Union Square Plaza and at the corner of Market and Stockton streets.
• The station will connect directly to the existing Powell Street Station via an underground concourse-to-concourse walkway, allowing for easy transfers to BART and the other Muni Metro lines.
• The station’s main entrance, to be located at the corner of Stockton and Geary streets, will complement and enrich Union Square Plaza by blending into the existing landscape and emulating the aesthetic of the plaza. Two major art installations will adorn the interior of the station.

Bids on the estimated $210 million contract are due July 11. A pre-bid conference will be held May 16 at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

More information about the Union Square/Market Street Station is available in our station fact sheet and in this press release from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).

Parties interested in this contract should e-mail Bernie Ancheta (bernie.ancheta@SFMTA.com) or call 415-701-4278. Please visit SFGOV.org to access the advertised bid document.

The rendering above (top) depicts the design of the future Chinatown Station. Construction is expected to be completed in 2017. The building currently at this site (bottom) will be demolished to make way for the new station.

We have exciting news about the Chinatown Station property and contract. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has completed acquisition of the building at 933-949 Stockton Street, the site of the future Chinatown Station, and work has begun that will secure the building and enhance its appearance until it is demolished.

A decorative vinyl wrap (shown below) will be applied along Stockton and Washington streets to protect the vacant building from vandalism and enhance its appearance. The wrap will feature renderings of the future Chinatown Station design, a Chinese mural provided by the Chinese Historical Society of America and artwork provided by students from the Chinatown YMCA. The wrap will remain in place until the building is demolished later this year.

Work to apply the vinyl wrap, remove signage and secure the building began today and is expected to continue through mid-March. While work is in progress, a temporary walkway will be installed to ensure pedestrian safety. You can find more information about this work in our construction notices, which are available in English and Chinese.

During the acquisition process, the SFMTA aided in the relocation of 19 residential households and eight commercial businesses. All of the residential tenants have moved to new residences, including four households that purchased new homes. The eight commercial tenants have been relocated, and six of them have relocated nearby.

The final design of the Chinatown Station has been completed, and the contract for station construction is scheduled to be released for bid by the end of February.

More details can be found in this press release from the SFMTA.

Release date: Sept. 13, 2011

**Press Release**

San Francisco – The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all surface transportation in the City, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today announced that the initial notice to proceed (NTP) authorization for the Central Subway’s largest construction contract, $233.5 million, will be issued this week. Thus far, the project will bring in nearly $90 million to local businesses and create thousands of job opportunities.

“The Central Subway project is vital to connecting our City center to San Francisco’s communities,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “This project invests in jobs, people and our City with critical infrastructure that will improve transportation for generations to come. I am especially pleased that the amount for the tunneling contract is $13.2 million under budget.”

“The momentum continues to build for San Francisco’s Central Subway Project because it will expand transit options in the heart of the City,” said Tom Nolan, Chairman of the SFMTA Board of Directors. “The City’s transportation infrastructure serves as the lifeblood of our expanding industries as well as our vibrant neighborhoods and the residents, visitors and employees that support them.”

“The completion of the T Third Light Rail Project with the Central Subway represents an investment in the future of San Francisco,” said Edward D. Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “This tunnelling contract is a major part of opening a dynamic new era in rapid transit for the people of San Francisco and especially for those traveling along the congested Stockton Street corridor.”

This week the SFMTA will move forward with the first of three NTP authorizations for the tunneling contract, awarded in June. This NTP allows the contractor to proceed with ordering the two tunnel boring machines (TBM) needed to construct the twin bore tunnels for the underground portion of the Central Subway Project. The contract has three distinct NTP authorizations: NTP 1 ($35M) authorizes procurement of the TBMs, NTP 2 ($36M) authorizes construction of the tunnel launch box and contractor’s work area and NTP 3 ($163M) authorizes commencement of tunneling, which includes construction of approximately 8,240-foot long precast concrete segmental lined twin-bored guideway tunnels, construction of five emergency cross passages between bored tunnels and construction of station end walls.

A construction approach called “deep tunneling” will be used to construct the Central Subway. Deep tunneling allows most of the work to be done below ground, reducing disruption on the surface by using the TBMs, a technology that has been used extensively throughout the world. Deep tunneling has great potential for controlling project costs by minimizing surface construction staging, reducing utility relocations and shortening construction time. The only visible tunneling activity will occur at the portal construction location (4th Street between Bryant and Harrison streets) and at the excavation site (Columbus Avenue at Union Street).

The second utility relocation contract began this spring and is underway on Stockton Street to prepare for construction of the Union Square/Market Street Station. For additional information and updates on the Central Subway Project, please visit www.sfmta.com/central.

Central Subway business outreach, conducted at more than 60 events and in collaboration with nearly 50 partners, has resulted in more than $115 million in contract awards combined for local (LBE), disadvantaged (DBE) or small business enterprises (SBE) to date. In fact six of the 11 prime contractors working on the Central Subway Project are certified as SBE, DBE or LBE.

The SFMTA is committed to encouraging the economic growth of small and local businesses through this project by providing contractor assistance in the form of outreach and bid preparation training. Also, unbundling contracts, a bonding and financing assistance program, small business set-aside programs and active monitoring of prompt payment ensure that the SFMTA provides opportunities to small businesses. On the upcoming tunnel contract, 12 to 18 percent of the total contract is anticipated to be performed by small business enterprises, which is more than twice the six percent goal for the project.

For employment training and job placement for non-construction jobs on the Central Subway project, the SFMTA works with the First Source Hiring program and places disadvantaged trainees with the prime and subcontractors. On construction contracts, the SFMTA implements the federal goals for women and minorities for each trade as well as state apprenticeship requirements. The SFMTA does this by working with First Source and CityBuild to provide referrals to contractors.

Visit www.sfmta.com/central to learn more about employment or contracting opportunities with the Central Subway Project.

———————

The original press release is available as a PDF and can be found at SFMTA’s Press Room.

Courtesy of Herrenknecht

“Investing in the Central Subway is an investment in jobs, in the economic vitality of our city, in safer transit and better commutes for San Francisco’s workers,” said Leader Pelosi, a longtime advocate of this project.

“The Central Subway project is vital to connecting our City to our communities like never before,” said Mayor Edwin M. Lee. “The project invests in jobs, in people, and in our City with critical infrastructure that will improve transportation for all our residents and families.”

SFMTA Board Chairman Tom Nolan said, “The Agency is pleased that the lowest bidder came in under the project engineer’s estimates and in these tough economic times we realize that this project will be a shot in the arm to our local economy sparking economic development, job training and growth, and creating thousands of contracting opportunities for local businesses.”

“We are pleased with the continued support for the project from Washington and our elected officials. The progress the SFMTA has made over the past few years proves that the Central Subway Project is shovel-ready and we’re on track to receive the Full Funding Grant Agreement from the FTA by year’s end,” said Executive Director/CEO Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. “This tunneling contract is a major part of opening a dynamic, new era in rapid transit for the people of San Francisco, and especially for those traveling along the congested Stockton corridor.”

[SFMTA Press Release: SFMTA Board Approves Tunneling Contract For Central Subway, June 28, 2011]