To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Breyana Brandt, Parks and Recreation Director
Prepared By: Ali Koenig, Parks Planning Manager
TITLE:
Title
Architectural Planning & Design Services for New Public Recreation & Aquatic Center Project
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the Parks and Recreation Director to execute on behalf of the City an agreement with Noll & Tam Architects for Architectural Planning & Design Services for the New Public Recreation & Aquatic Center Project in an amount not to exceed $1,317,275.
Body
DISCUSSION:
On December 13, 2026, the City of Napa officially closed on the purchase of the former Harvest Middle School property, located at 2447 Old Sonoma Road, marking a major milestone in expanding local recreational opportunities.
Backed in part by Measure G funds, this significant purchase has not only ensured that the site remains active and accessible for the community but has also allowed the City to initiate steps toward developing a long-term vision for the property supported by community input. This new endeavor will span multiple design and construction service phases under the lead of a licensed architecture firm to develop a new public recreation and aquatics center for the City of Napa (“Project”).
To kick-off this Project, on January 6, 2026, the City issued a Request for Proposals from professional architectural firms with experience in consensus-driven and comprehensive planning and design services for new public recreation and aquatics centers. To support the City’s desire to lead an inclusive community engagement process, the City specified that architectural firms shall demonstrate that their qualifications include engagement with stakeholders throughout the design process.
On February 22, 2026, the City received (16) sixteen proposals from firms, including (in alphabetical order): COAR Design Group, CSHQA, DAHLIN, ELS Architecture and Urban Design, Gensler + Paulett Taggart Architects, Group 4 Architecture Rearch + Planning, Harley Ellis Devereaux Corporation, HMC Architects, Lionakis, LPA Design Studios, Mark Cavagnero Associates, Multistudio, Napa Design Partners, Noll & Tam Architects, SGPA Architecture & Planning, and SmithGroup.
A review committee made up of City staff from the City Managers Office, Public Works Department and Parks & Recreation Department, evaluated and scored each proposal based on demonstrated competence, experience, price and other relevant factors. Following this review, on March 19, 2026, the City proceeded to interview and verify qualifications of the top four firms scored, which included (in alphabetical order): COAR Design Group, ELS Architecture and Urban Design, Harley Ellis Devereaux Corporation, and Noll & Tam Architects.
Following the interview scoring process, Noll & Tam Architects was identified as the selected firm. Beyond their qualifications and understanding of the project opportunities and constraints, Noll & Tam Architects has communicated an understanding and clear approach to valuing and incorporating diverse community concerns and interests in the project design. They have also prioritized local resources by including Napa-based sub-consultants to support the overall project.
The project agreement with Noll & Tam services will initially cover Phase I services including project start-up, community engagement, design alternatives, concept design and a phased project approach. Future agreement amendments will be brought to City Council for review and approval to advance to Phase II (construction documentation) and Phase III (construction support).
While City staff believes that the number of hours accounted for in the agreement are sufficient to address the project scope, a 10% contingency has been included in the overall budget for the agreement to account for any unforeseen circumstances or site assessments.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Sufficient funding for the contract is available in the existing appropriations for the Harvest Recreational Site Demolition & Planning account (12HRVSTPRJ-10112100-53210) budgeted in the current Nonrecurring General Fund budget.
CEQA:
The Parks and Recreation Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment.
However, the Recommended Action is part of a larger “project” that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the “earliest feasible time” prior to “approval” consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Architectural Planning & Design Services RFP
ATCH 2 - Noll & Tam Architects Proposal
NOTIFICATION:
None.