RESOURCE:

Background

The Development on Troy (The dot) opened to the public on December 12, 2020. The dot is the City’s first downtown mixed-use parking project. The facility features four levels of parking, comprised of 377 publicly-owned parking spaces with a designated number assigned for downtown employee parking permits. 

 

W. Troy Street has been redesigned as a shared street concept that combines cycling, pedestrians, social activities, and parking to create a shared public space. Shared streets promote accessibility standards and eliminate the traditional segregation of motor vehicles and other mobility modes. The streetscape includes the addition of reinforced brick pavers, lighting, benches, trees, and landscaping improvements.

 

The dot was designed to achieve Parksmart certification — a sustainability standard for parking facilities. Sustainability features include electric vehicle charging stations located on the second floor, an underground stormwater detention system, and a segmented living wall located in the rear alley. Additionally, The dot incorporates energy-efficient lighting, basement-level carbon monoxide and emission censors, and a gateless entry system that provides ease of access while simultaneously reduces idling and emissions time for vehicular traffic.

Financial Review

The dot is a mixed-use project that includes funding from public sources and private sources via a development agreement. The final net cost overage for the project is 3.5%, or ($799,837).

 

Net project costs are determined by three sources:

  1. Original contract sum
  2. Change order adjustments
  3. Reimbursements to the City by the Developer (enforced by the development agreement).

Project Closeout Spreadsheet

 

Pre-construction: October 2017 to January 2019

February 4, 2019 City Council meeting:

  • Authorization to issue $20 million in capital improvement bonds to fund the construction of The dot
  • Parking rate study and parking rate increase recommendation
  • DDA Interlocal Agreement to contribute funding toward The dot 
  • Construction bid package awards – series 2 
  • AIA agreement between Colasanti and the City of Ferndale 

December 17, 2018 City Council meeting 

  • Construction bid package awards – series 1  

September 24, 2018 City Council Meeting: 

  • AIA agreement between Colasanti and the City of Ferndale for pre-construction services

Construction: March 2019 to December 2020

April 8, 2019 City Council meeting 

  • Construction bid package awards –  (small trades) 

During the construction process, the City Manager requested five construction change orders. Construction change orders are a common component to any major construction project. However, change order three is an exception to that rule. The change order was due to an oversight in the bid process about the construction of the future fourth floor of the office space.

 

  • Change Order 1
    The cost driver for this change order was due to subterranean conditions, related earthwork, and design changes.

  • Change Order 2
    The cost drivers for this change order included additions to the compactor enclosure, and design and structural changes related to the future retail and office space.

  • Change Order 3
    The cost driver for this change order was the completion of the fourth floor of the parking garage/office first floor.

  • Change Order 4
    The cost drivers for this change order included office-related design and structural amendments that had been in process or were initiated as a consequence of COVID-19.

  • Change Order 5
    The scope of work in this change order includes portions of structural scope changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic related to the future office development, including enclosing the central elevator shaft. The change order also accounted for other mechanical and electrical adjustments that have been initiated relating to elevator shaft ventilation, the water pump room, and mechanical system needs for multiple storage spaces.

Construction Closeout Settlement

The City and Colasanti agreed to a negotiated final settlement agreement for $180,178 ($112,000 less than Colsanti’s initial reimbursement request). The majority of these claims are related to outstanding construction costs during the 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns, supply chain issues, and public-health-related costs and adjustments to the job site as required by the Governor’s Executive Orders.

Site Plan

The City submitted the project as a Planned Unit Development (PUD). Deliverables for the preliminary PUD application included a site plan, floor plans, and exterior elevations for each use of the project. Uses included parking, future offices, and a residential building located on a separate parcel, known as parcel B. These drawings reflect the size, character, organization of uses, and the proposed phasing of the project. 

 

The design for the development included approximately 400 parking spaces, street-level commercial space, upper-level office space, space for consolidating waste management within the garage, and a residential development located along Allen Road. 

Development Agreement

City Council engaged with Versa Wanda LLC to formalize a development agreement. The development agreement is a legal document that outlines the roles, terms, and conditions per the development goals stated in the PUD.

Key Documents

Background

In 2015, Mayor David Coulter and Downtown Development Authority Chair Dean Bach convened a Downtown Parking Committee (DPC) comprised of Ferndale business owners and residents. The group was tasked with evaluating the parking system’s needs and providing recommendations for the development of a downtown mixed-use parking deck. Factors for the location recommendation were based on data from downtown parking studies, site surveys, geotechnical soil studies, and the potential to accommodate parking supply shortages and long-term development goals.  

 

The Downtown Parking Committee recommended to develop Lot 6, located at the intersection of W. Troy St. and Allen Rd. Ferndale City Council unanimously approved the site recommendation on October 24, 2016. Redevelopment of the W. Troy surface lot is designated as a priority land-use goal in the Master Land Use Plan update. Document archives from the pre-construction phase are provided below.  


Planning 

Studies

Commercial

The City and DDA worked with Gibbs Planning in 2015 to identify future commercial development needs and opportunities for the downtown. The market study was performed in coordination with the 2016 MLUP update.

Parking Demand

The City partnered with Carl Walker Parking Consultants and Republic Parking System to study parking traffic in our downtown.

Traffic

The City partnered with Opus International to study the vehicular traffic and turning movements within the Development on Troy study area. The purpose of the current traffic study is to model the impacts of each development concept on the existing street network. Preserving safety and minimizing disruption in the residential neighborhoods near the proposed development are two priority guiding principles.