City of Somerville City of Somerville UNION SQUARE UPDATE h t t p s : / / w w w . s o m e r v i l l e m a . g o v / d e p a r t m e n t s / u n i o n - s q u a r e - p l a n n i n g March 5, 2019
T oday’s Meeting PURPOSE: • Provide an update on the status of the design of USQ Block D2 • Review the impacts and costs of different alternatives to the design submitted in 2017 for the CDSP • Receive an update on current status and next steps AGENDA: • Design Efforts • Cost Estimating • Additional Alternate Studies (Underground and Off-site) • Ongoing Issues • Next Steps Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
DESIGN EFFORTS Public Process Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Neighborhood Plan Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Approved CDSP Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Approved CDSP Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Approved CDSP Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Approved CDSP Next step: Design and Site Plan Review Plans recently submitted – internal review beginning soon Submitted plan reflects feedback from the neighborhood meeting and DRC Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Neighborhood T eam Design • Design workshop included 3 teams • This version was determined to be a preferred option • This version requires: • No on-site above-grade parking • MBTA station entrance relocation Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
COST ESTIMATING Original and Peer Review Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
US2 Original Cost Estimate Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Underground Parking – US2 Estimate • NorthStar – US2 consultant • This estimate is a premium cost – relative to the above- ground garage cost. • $74,000 cost premium per space Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes From Exhibit D: From page 7 of the NorthStar Estimate: 1. Dewatering Costs. The geotechnical report notes that the water table on D2 varies from 2.8 feet below grade to 10.3 feet below grade. Extensive underground construction will result in dewatering costs and treatment of dewatering effluent due to the site contamination. 2. Waterproofing. Since the underground parking structure will be sitting below-grade in an area with a high water table that has been prone to flooding, additional waterproofing and drainage measures will need to be incorporated into the underground garage to keep the garage dry and The Site Section Assumptions do not include the mitigate ground surface uplift at the lowest level. topsoil and plantings necessary to achieve the landscape vision illustrated by the Alternate Designs. Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes 3. Site Environmental Cleanup. The D2 project is planned on land partially created by the filling in of the Millers River in the late-1800s, and has since been used for a combination of commercial, residential and industrial purposes. Both the fill materials and historic industrial operations have contributed oil and hazardous materials to the soil over time. The site is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil and VOCs have been detected in groundwater on the small northeast portion of the site . Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes • Due to the contamination, the site cleanup will be regulated by both federal and state laws. The cost associated with site cleanup can be estimated based on the testing performed to date, but the actual cost is uncertain until actual subsurface conditions are uncovered during the construction. • For the CDSP D2 Plan (i.e., above ground parking plan), sub-surface soil removal and the associated risk and cost is minimized. Soil with PCB concentrations greater than EPA approved clean-up standards will be excavated and disposed of at an out of state land fill. For the balance of the site, a combination of soil removal and soil capping will be employed. Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes • In the Alternate D2 Plan (i.e. underground parking plan), sub-surface soil removal and the associated risk and cost will be much more significant. All the soil excavated will need to be trucked offsite to landfills and in the case of contaminated soil, landfills that charge a premium for disposal. Different levels of contamination will require different disposal costs (assumed $250 per ton for PCBs > 50ppm; $100 per ton for PCBs > 1ppm < 50ppm; $40 per ton for urban fill). Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes 4. Brownfield Tax Credits. The estimate assumes that the project takes advantage of the Massachusetts Brownfield Tax Credit program and receives tax credits of 25 – 50% of the eligible environmental remediation cost in accordance with the eligibility requirements of the state program. The market value of the tax credits in the resale market is estimated at 85% based on input from a tax credit seller’s opinion of current market conditions. Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes 5. Additional Rentable SF above grade. In comparing the two building programs, the Alternate D2 Plan yielded approximately 19,000 square feet of additional market rate residential (i.e., 80% of 24,000 square feet of additional residential) on levels 1 and levels 2 in the mid-rise and approximately 6,000 square feet of off-street retail/arts space located in the eastern midrise residential building. The land value attributable to this area was estimated to determine the credit amount in the estimate. Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Cost Estimate Notes 6. Exclusions. The estimate does not include the additional operating costs associated with operating the additional garage MEP systems in the Alternate D2 Plan. It’s also noted that the western mid-rise residential building and the underground parking construction will conflict with the planned ingress/egress construction easements for the MBTA GLX contractor . The impact of this construction logistics conflict has not been captured in the cost estimate but will not be insignificant if the Alternate D2 Plan is implemented. Lastly, the cost of redesigning the project and any necessary re-permitting that would be required in order to implement the Alternate D2 Plan have not been included. Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Additional Costs Base estimate for above-ground parking • The above grade option is approximately $45,000 per space (or $13.5 million total including soft costs) • Adding the base number and the underground premium, the actual cost per parking space would be approximately $120,000. Soft costs • The estimate does not include additional design costs Timeline extension and permitting revision • The estimate does not include cost of the additional time required to complete and apply for a new design • This may require a CDSP modification, with additional meetings. This results in increased time and money to the project • This also adds carrying costs on city bonds OR slows the streetscape work in Union Square Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Peer Review Cost Estimate Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Peer Review (Cost Estimate) • Vermeulens – the City’s consultant that was recommended by residents. • Our estimate for the below grade parking garage is yielding a $126,429/space unit price. ” Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
Peer Review Notes “ As an added premium to finish the landscaping on the roof of the garage we would recommend carrying an additional $30/sf over the 68,900sf of additional roof area totaling approximately $2M. An additional premium cost if additional depth is required to the garage finished floor level due to landscaping depth requirements we recommend adding $1M per foot of depth added. ” “Excluded from the estimate are: loose furnishings and equipment, project contingency, architect’s and engineer’s fees, moving, administrative and financing costs. ” From page E.18 of the Vermeulens Peer Review: Mayor Joseph A Curtatone Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development
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