HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-12-18; Orion Center Project Update (District 2); Gomez, PazTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date \2110(1ScA ✓ cc ✓
CM L CM ..JL._ DCM (3) V
December 18, 2025
Council Memorandum
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2025075
To:
From:
Via:
Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Publ ~ ~)5~s /
Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager ~
Re: Orion Center Project Update (District 2)
This memorandum provides an update on the status of the Orion Center Project, Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) Project No. 3572.
Background
On April 16, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-081, transferring funds and
authorizing a design services agreement with Carrier Johnson for the Orion Center Project. The
project involves the construction of a single-story office building for Public Works and
Parks & Recreation maintenance staff, a combined warehouse for Public Works and
Parks & Recreation maintenance activities, a warehouse for general Public Works storage and a
single-story evidence storage building for the Police Department, located at 2600 Orion Way.
The most recent Council Memorandum dated July 17, 2025, is attached hereto as
Attachment A.
Discussion
A collaborative effort, between the design team and staff from Public Works and
Parks & Recreation, led to the review and reconfirmation of staff space needs which is
underway and the design team anticipates submitting a building permit application later this
month. Some space rearrangements are being considered for the Police Department's property
and evidence storage building, but these changes are not expected to have a significant impact
on the building permit application review process.
The design team submitted an Early Assessment application to the Planning Division of the
Community Development Department in July 2025 and received a response in September 2025.
Although the revised project layout represents a reduced scope of work compared to the
approved Conditional Use Permit (CUP), the Early Assessment process identified the need to
revisit much of the underlying technical documents that supported the CUP. The design team
has been working with their subconsultants to update the underlying technical documents, and
once this documentation has been updated with the latest design iteration, the design team
will submit the application to amend the CUP.
Public Works Branch
Fleet & Facilities Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t
Council Memo -Orion Center Project Update (District 2)
December 18, 2025
Page 2
Next Steps
Staff anticipate the following timeline:
• Spring 2026 -Complete construction documents and provide updated drawings for
building permit processing. Submit application for CUP amendment.
• Spring 2027 -Anticipated Planning Commission Hearing for approval of amended CUP.
• Summer 2027 -Return to the City Council for adoption of plans, specifications and
contract documents and authorization to advertise the project for construction bids.
• Fall 2027 -Anticipated start of construction.
• Spring 2029 -Expected construction completion.
Attachment: A. Council Memorandum dated July 17, 2025
(Due to the size of the second attachment, a link is included for the
April 16, 2024, City Council Staff Report)
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Christie Calderwood, Police Chief
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Tim Lyons, Assistant City Attorney
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Zach Korach, Finance Director
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Amy Ventetuolo, Communication & Engagement Director
Jeff Smith, Captain
Darcy Davidson, Fire Marshal
John Maashoff, Public Works Manager
Steven Stewart, Municipal Projects Manager
Michael O'Brien, Public Works Superintendent
To the members of the:
.,c~r:_cOUNCIL
Date~CAjL_CCL_
CM _£ACM _JLL)CM (3) --1L"
July 17, 2025
Council Memorandum
Attachment A
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2025043
To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
From: Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Via: Sheila Cobian, Assistant City Manager~
Re: Orion Center Project Update (District 2)
This memorandum provides an update on the status of the Orion Center Project, Capital
Improvement Program (CIP) Project No. 3572.
Background
On April 16, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-081, transferring funds and
authorizing a design services agreement with Carrier Johnson for the Orion Center Project. The
project involves the construction of a single-story office building for Public Works and
Parks & Recreation maintenance staff, a combined warehouse for maintenance activities, a
warehouse for general Public Works storage and a single-story evidence storage building for the
Police Department, located at 2600 Orion Way.
Upon completion of construction of the Orion Center, the Parks Maintenance staff currently in
maintenance spaces across the street from City Hall and Public Works staff currently at the
maintenance yard at 405 Oak Avenue will vacate those facilities and be located at the new
Orion Center.
A copy of the staff report, including project background information, and accompanying
resolution are attached hereto as Attachment A.
Discussion
Upon adoption of City Council Resolution No. 2024-081, staff combined the Public Works
Storage Facility, CIP Project No. 4092, work scope and remaining funding with the Orion Center
Project, CIP Project No. 3572. In addition, staff finalized the design services agreement with
Carrier Johnson and began the schematic design phase of developing concepts for the revised
scope of the Orion Center Project.
A collaborative design effort to address the revised programming needs for the new facility has
been underway with the design team during the past year. Through this process, staff have
determined that a smaller office building and smaller warehouses will suffice for the Public
Works Branch and Park & Recreation Department needs and that the Public Works storage
Public Works Branch
Fleet & Facilities Department
1635 Faraday Avenue I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2730 t
Council Memo -Orion Center Project Update (District 2)
July 17, 2025
Page 2
warehouse would have only a 10,000-square-foot footprint instead of a much larger one.
However, further programming efforts have also determined that the Police Department's
property and evidence storage building needs to be larger than originally anticipated and must
be partially air conditioned.
Several design iterations have been reviewed with the design team during the past year
including various site layout concepts, and a schematic design has been developed that best
meets staff's revised criteria. The next phase of the design work, which is the design
development phase based on the schematic design, is now underway. Design iterations are
currently focused on specific building interior finishes and air conditioning needs.
The design team is planning to submit an Early Assessment to the Planning Division of the
Community Development Department to obtain input on the revised site layout because it
reflects a reduced scope of work compared to the scope of work described in the approved
Conditional Use Permit (CUP). Some of the features of the reduced scope of work include:
• A smaller single-story office building, 9,000 square feet instead of 42,000 square feet
• A combined maintenance warehouse building in lieu of two stand-alone warehouses
• A larger Police property and evidence storage building with approximately 12,000
square feet instead of 6,500 square feet, located near the Police and Fire Headquarters
Several iterations of cost estimates have also been prepared. The most recent estimate, which
was prepared in May, estimated a probable total construction cost of over $47 million. This
estimate is in line with previous budget estimates.
With the recent completion of the schematic design phase, staff confirmed that the changes in
the project scope would necessitate returning to the Planning Commission for approval of an
amended CUP prior to returning to the City Council for adoption of plans, specifications and
contract documents and authorization to advertise the project for construction bids.
Next Steps
Staff anticipate the following timeline:
• July 2025 -Submit an Early Assessment to the Planning Division
• November 2025 -Submit an amended CUP application to the city for the required
discretionary review process
• Spring 2026 -Complete construction documents and submit for concurrent building
permit processing
• Summer 2026 -Return to the Planning Commission for approval of an amended CUP
• Fall 2026 -Return to the City Council for adoption of plans, specifications and contract
documents and authorization to advertise the project for construction bids
• Early 2027 -Anticipated start of construction
• Late 2028 -Expected construction completion
Council Memo -Orion Center Project Update (District 2)
July 17, 2025
Page 3
Attachment: A. April 16, 2024, City Council Staff Report (Due to the size of Attachment A,
a hardcopy is on file in the Office of the City Council, as reference)
cc: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Christie Calderwood, Police Chief
Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief
Tim Lyons, Assistant City Attorney
Tom Frank, Transportation Director/City Engineer
Zach Korach, Finance Director
Kyle Lancaster, Parks & Recreation Director
Jeff Murphy, Community Development Director
Amy Ventetuolo, Communication & Engagement Director
Jeff Smith, Police Captain
Darcy Davidson, Fire Marshal
John Maashoff, Public Works Manager
Steven Stewart, Municipal Projects Manager
Michael O'Brien, Public Works Superintendent