The Rock Church and Academy: Aligning Expectations with Project Realities
Objective
Objective
To establish and meet real and achievable goals and parameters for a sensitive community redevelopment project.
Situation
The City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency was working on a new, mixed-use and residential urban village on a vacant property that was formerly the San Diego Naval Training Academy. The Rock Church had been negotiating with the Redevelopment Agency to rebuild a 285,000 square foot, three-story existing structure to house the Church and a K-12 academy. In the course of interviewing to serve as Owner's Representative on behalf of the Church, PMA surfaced a gap between the Church's expectations about the project, which they were about to make public, and the realities of what their existing budget could achieve.
PMA’s Contribution
PMA's team quickly evaluated the existing property and design plans to understand the realities for achieving the architect's vision. We recommended some major modifications to reduce costs, such as working with the existing foundation structure to eliminate expenditures associated with installing new pilings and a larger envelope which would have received a negative response from the community. Our team then created real construction cost estimates, which led the Church to increase its capital campaign goals. To win over the community, we contracted with a local public relations firm and became the visible representative for the Church in lengthy negotiations with neighbors and other interested parties. As the Owner's Representative, we carried through patient negotiations with a broad array of stakeholders – including the City of San Diego, the Redevelopment Agency, the developer, neighbors and the broader community for over two years.
Results
In August 2007, the Church celebrated the opening of its new sanctuary, offices and K-12 academy, having met the real capital expenditures required to build its new home. The Church has been a positive anchor to the overall site development, which has helped the City of San Diego transform the former Navy base into a vibrant mixed-use residential neighborhood.