TITLE:
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FACILITIES MASTER PLAN FOR CITY OWNED FACILITIES PRESENTATION
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DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: RAJA SETHURAMAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: PATRICK BAUER, DEPUTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, (714) 754-5029
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council receive and file this Facilities Master Plan report.
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BACKGROUND:
On January 21, 2025, the City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Gensler for the preparation of a Facilities Master Plan. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the conditions of various City facilities and assess their current and future usage and needs. The project also included meetings with various departments to understand and incorporate their feedback on various facilities. The City facilities that were assessed included Balearic Community Center, Bridge Shelter, City Hall, Communications Building, Corporation Yard Buildings A and B, Downtown Recreation Center, Fire Station Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, Historical Society Building, Mesa Verde Library, Police Facility, Police Westside Substation, and Senior Center. In order to accomplish this, the project was structured into three phases:
Phase 1: Facility Condition Assessment
This phase involved a comprehensive evaluation of each facility. Inspections focused on observable areas and systems, supplemented by input from City staff regarding facility conditions and historical background.
Phase 2: Space Needs Assessment and Gap Analysis
This phase analyzed current operations, services, and programs of identified facilities to determine their utilization. Surveys were conducted to identify present and future space requirements for current and future staffing needs for each facility.
Phase 3: Cost Estimates and Funding Strategies
In this final phase, cost estimates and potential funding strategies were developed for the recommended improvements, proposed implementation phases, and timelines. This information will support the City in prioritizing facility improvement projects.
This phasing plan was intended to better understand the longevity of City facilities by identifying their strengths and deficiencies, evaluating current conditions and usage, and determining opportunities to utilize the facilities more efficiently to meet future needs.
A preliminary presentation of the Facilities Master Plan was provided to City Council at the Study Session on March 10, 2026.The City Council requested clarifying information on various aspects of the report, including space constraints evaluation, energy usage and funding strategies. In addition, the City Council requested information on maintenance costs of facilities that were not covered by the study.
ANALYSIS:
The team at Gensler began by performing in-depth interviews with City department heads to better understand and assess the current and future operational and space needs of each facility. These interviews were held with the following departments/divisions: Public Works, Fire, Police, Parks, Building and Code, Finance, Information Technology, City Clerk, and Facilities.
Bureau Veritas followed the department interviews by performing in-person building assessments. These assessments gathered data that was obtained through the Facilities team, department heads and leads that had familiarity with the buildings, and from the visual inspections performed by Bureau Veritas. Building assessment reports were then created compiling all the information obtained and ranked the buildings based on their current conditions. Information in the assessment includes architectural elements, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire systems. Location analysis, building siting, and accessibility were also reviewed. The reports also included data on how the building and building systems will age with and without performance of any repairs to identified facilities.
Gensler compiled the data after all interviews and building assessments were completed and any additional follow-up information needed was obtained from City personnel. The information is intended to present key recommendations, such as facilities and maintenance issues based on priorities, expanding service access to different parts of the City, upgrading the service experience that the City staff can provide to residents, repurposing underutilized assets, introducing efficient space standards and potential renovations, and presenting potential costs for facilities based on priority and necessity and when those upgrades/renovations/maintenance are enacted. The potential costs are to assist the City in better understanding the cost difference that could occur if certain items are neglected or postponed, as well as costs for upgrading facilities for better efficiency and future space needs.
The assessment documented that:
(1) Approximately 54% of the City building spaces are over 50 years old.
(2) Buildings that are more than 30 years old represent approximately 80% of the total facility square-footage.
(3) Investments are needed on an annual basis to proactively maintain and replace systems to extend the serviceable life of facilities.
(4) The current system is more reactive when maintenance needs are addressed as systems fail or at near failure.
As an example, the City Hall building will need an average of $850,000 every year over the next ten years in order to maintain the current Facilities Conditions Index and operations. It was determined that approximately 75% of systems in City Hall are in “Aged but Functional” condition.
Facility Condition Assessment for each of the facilities that were part of the study is available at: https://www.costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/public-works/maintenance-services/facilities-maintenance/facility-condition-assessment/-fsiteid-1#!/ <https://www.costamesaca.gov/government/departments-and-divisions/public-works/maintenance-services/facilities-maintenance/facility-condition-assessment/-fsiteid-1>.
Table 1 shows the Facility Condition Index (FCI) results for each evaluated building. The FCI provides a theoretical objective indication of the facility’s overall condition and is defined as the ratio of the cost of current needs divided by the current replacement value (CRV). The 3-, 5-, 10- and 20-year FCIs are provided in the table to support future planning and budgeting, as well as to assist in establishing project priorities.
Table 1: Facility Condition Index
Key findings of the Facilities Needs Assessment study include:
• The City needs to continue to make investments strategically over the next 10 years to maintain/replace facilities.
• Some key facilities constructed in the past code requirements no longer align with current building, safety and accessibility standards.
• There are existing space constraints.
• City Hall remains a central hub for in-person engagement with opportunities to improve service delivery.
• Space standards vary across departments, and existing facilities do not fully reflect modern way of working.
• The City has invested in underserved areas, including Westside, but service gaps remain.
• Existing facilities do not fully support operational continuity during emergencies.
• Sustainability is emerging as a priority in areas like solar power, EV infrastructure, and energy-efficient systems.
In order to address the above findings, the study identified maintenance and facility infrastructure investment needs over a 20-year period. The ongoing maintenance costs are expected to increase with inflation. It is estimated that there is a need for investment in the range of approximately $3.45 million per year for deferred maintenance and lifecycle replacement reserves over the next 20 years. The Facilities Master Plan also provides an implementation timeline and projected Facility Infrastructure Investment needs over a 20-year period to meet the needs of the City’s residents and business community, consistent with City Council goals and priorities.
Table 2 shows the total replacement reserve costs for each building.
Table 2: Total Replacement Reserve Costs
The Facilities Master Plan identifies major capital improvement projects that are beyond routine maintenance. These include rebuilds and major renovations of facilities such as Fire Stations, Communications Building and Westside Substation. The estimated cost of these projects is approximately $60 million. Table 3 provides a listing of proposed capital projects and implementation timeline. The timeline is a recommendation only and is subject to change based on the City’s needs and budget availability.
Table 3: Facility Improvements Cost Estimates
Fire Stations Modernization: The Facilities Master Plan included preparation of conceptual layouts for renovating Fire Stations 3 and 5. These stations can potentially be modernized without significant reconstruction and would comply with department needs and standards. Fire Station 4 will require significant renovation of the living quarters. The layouts are included in the Master Plan report and the costs for these projects are included in Table 3.
In addition to the aforementioned costs for the buildings that were assessed, the annual maintenance costs for the remaining facilities were analyzed and provided as well. These buildings include Norma Hertzog Community Center, Donald Dungan Library, Fire Station No. 2, and the Mesa Verde Library. The annual maintenance costs are provided in Table 4.
Table 4: Annual Maintenance Costs for Other Facilities.
Staff requests City Council to receive and file this Facilities Master Plan report. The findings from this report will be used to proactively plan for both maintenance and major capital improvement projects at various City facilities.
ALTERNATIVES:
As this is an information item, there are no recommended alternatives.
FISCAL REVIEW:
The Facilities Master Plan report was funded out of the operational expenses budget in Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 401). Funding to address the maintenance, improvement, and replacement of various city-owned facilities will be incorporated into CIP budget development process. Potential funding sources include, but are not limited to, the annual General Fund allocation of 5% towards Capital Asset Needs (CAN), as well as future county, state, and federal grant opportunities.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed this staff report and approves it as to form.
CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND PRIORITIES:
This project works toward achieving all City Council goals and priorities:
• Recruit and retain high-quality staff.
• Strengthen the Public’s Safety and Improve the Quality of Life.
• Maintain and Enhance the City’s Facilities, Equipment and Technology.
• Diversify, stabilize & increase housing to reflect community needs.
• Achieve long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Advance environmental sustainability and climate resiliency.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the City Council receive and file this Facility Conditions Assessment report.