Item 9 - Berkeley, California€¦ · 13/07/2011 · Lower Sprowl Student Community Center Project...
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Item 9 July 13, 2011 FACILITIES SERVICES BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720-1380 July 5, 2011 Members of the City of Berkeley Planning Commission c/o 2120 Milvia Street Suite 300 Berkeley CA 94704 Re: Information Item for July 2011 Meeting Thank you for the opportunity to share an overview of the Lower Sproul Student Community Center project at the July 13 meeting. The project has been presented publicly at an Open house on April 5 th and at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 2nd. This letter provides background information similar to what was provided to the LPC. “Lower Sproul” refers to the plaza and surrounding buildings – Zellerbach Hall, Chavez Student center, Eshleman Hall, and the MLK, Jr. Student Union – located on the south edge of the Berkeley campus adjacent to Sproul Plaza, a major campus entry and pedestrian thoroughfare. The complex was designed by the architecture firm Hardison and DeMars, who won the competition for this commission, and by the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, and was built in phases between 1959-1968. It is the campus’s signature grouping of Modernist buildings and site design. Lower Sproul has long been identified as an area in need of programmatic and physical redesign in order to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a high quality center for student life. Although it currently houses a mix of student services, retail, food service, student organizations and student government, over many years it has become a bleak and underutilized space. In addition, Eshleman Hall, primarily occupied by student programs, is rated seismically “poor” and there is some urgency in planning for its demolition and replacement. In 2008, the campus funded a master plan and selected the firm of Moore Ruble Yudell as design consultants. The master plan process brought together campus and student leaders to create a vision for an active, student-oriented complex. The final master plan was published in June 2009 and can be accessed at http://www.cp.berkeley.edu/PlanningPage2.html. It proposed substantial renovations throughout the complex which were deemed too costly an endeavor. As a result, a project with a smaller scope has been developed that is intended to address the key physical deficiencies as well as the priority needs identified by the students during the master planning process. In the spring of 2010, students passed the Lower Sproul Plaza (LSP) Fee to help fund improvements to the complex. It is particularly notable that, even in a time of rising student fees, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • MERCED • RIVERSIDE • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ
Transcript of Item 9 - Berkeley, California€¦ · 13/07/2011 · Lower Sprowl Student Community Center Project...
Item 9 July 13, 2011
FACILITIES SERVICES BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720-1380
July 5, 2011 Members of the City of Berkeley Planning Commission c/o 2120 Milvia Street Suite 300 Berkeley CA 94704 Re: Information Item for July 2011 Meeting
Thank you for the opportunity to share an overview of the Lower Sproul Student Community Center project at the July 13 meeting. The project has been presented publicly at an Open house on April 5th and at the Landmarks Preservation Commission on June 2nd. This letter provides background information similar to what was provided to the LPC. “Lower Sproul” refers to the plaza and surrounding buildings – Zellerbach Hall, Chavez Student center, Eshleman Hall, and the MLK, Jr. Student Union – located on the south edge of the Berkeley campus adjacent to Sproul Plaza, a major campus entry and pedestrian thoroughfare. The complex was designed by the architecture firm Hardison and DeMars, who won the competition for this commission, and by the landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, and was built in phases between 1959-1968. It is the campus’s signature grouping of Modernist buildings and site design. Lower Sproul has long been identified as an area in need of programmatic and physical redesign in order to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a high quality center for student life. Although it currently houses a mix of student services, retail, food service, student organizations and student government, over many years it has become a bleak and underutilized space. In addition, Eshleman Hall, primarily occupied by student programs, is rated seismically “poor” and there is some urgency in planning for its demolition and replacement. In 2008, the campus funded a master plan and selected the firm of Moore Ruble Yudell as design consultants. The master plan process brought together campus and student leaders to create a vision for an active, student-oriented complex. The final master plan was published in June 2009 and can be accessed at http://www.cp.berkeley.edu/PlanningPage2.html. It proposed substantial renovations throughout the complex which were deemed too costly an endeavor. As a result, a project with a smaller scope has been developed that is intended to address the key physical deficiencies as well as the priority needs identified by the students during the master planning process. In the spring of 2010, students passed the Lower Sproul Plaza (LSP) Fee to help fund improvements to the complex. It is particularly notable that, even in a time of rising student fees,
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • MERCED • RIVERSIDE • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ
Lower Sprowl Student Community Center Project Item 9 July 13, 2011
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the referendum passed by a 2:1 margin underscoring the need and support for the project. The campus has committed the additional funds. The project scope includes the following components:
1. Replacement of Eshleman Hall with a building on the same site, designed to a target of LEED Gold or better.
2. Creation of a new addition on the south side of MLK outside its current footprint and along the Bancroft Way frontage, filling in what is commonly called “the pit”. The project would complete the building’s shell and core only, with the expectation that future retail tenants would complete the interior to fit their needs.
3. Replacement of the one-story food court area on the west side of MLK with a new 2 –story space to house food service and the multicultural center.
4. Site and access improvements at all entries to the plaza including the replacement of the stairs at the northeast and northwest corners of the plaza with accessible stair/ramp configurations.
5. Renovation of selected spaces within MLK, Chavez and Anthony Hall (located outside of LSP but home to the Graduate Assembly and included in the referendum.)
The total project budget is $223M and it includes costs for surge, financing costs, and allowances for on-going operations, maintenance and security. A portion of the surge budget will be used to renovate one of the buildings in the historic Anna Head School complex, the Walter Ratcliff-designed assembly building on Haste Street, for use as a student dance practice and performance space. The project is anticipated to be constructed in two phases, with phase one, Eshleman replacement and new access ramp/stairs, starting in fall of 2012 and completing in spring of 2015. Phase two construction would take place between 2015-2017. The renovation of the historic Anthony Hall is expected to be very minimal and will not alter character-defining features. The building will serve as a center for graduate student gatherings, with business operations relocated to new Eshleman. The complete historic structure reports of the former “California Student Center”complex and of Anthony Hall are on the web at www.cp.berkeley.edu/CP/PEP/History/planninghistory.html. A summary of impacts to the character-defining elements is attached to this letter.
Sincerely, Beth Piatnitza Associate Director Physical and Environmental Planning Attachments: Table of Character Defining Features/Status in Proposed Project
Selected images of Lower Sproul project
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CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES OF LSSCC, STATUS IN PROPOSED PROJECT Character Defining Feature (per 2009 “California Student Center/Lower Sproul Plaza Historic Structures Report”, KVP Consulting)
Status of Feature with implementation of LSSCC project
Plaza Open character of L-shaped plaza w/ sightlines of redwoods, hills & Campanile
No change
Paving – pattern and materials Altered to provide resilient surface for dance practice and performance. Majority of paving is in disrepair and is to be resurfaced
Golden Bear Column No change Concrete planters & benches Altered and /or removed
Concrete stairs to Upper Sproul and to Alumni House Removed and replaced with ADA-accessible stair/ramp
Plantings Replaced Chavez Center Concrete elements -board formed walls, terraces to the south and east, cylindrical tube-columns, hyperbolic paraboloid vaulted roof
No change
Overall footprint and massing of building No change Glass and steel window walls No change Misc. metallic elements, including globe fixtures, decorative aluminum mesh on the west façade, and steel balustrade on Terrace level
Unknown at this time
Original glazed aluminum doors No change anticipated Misc wood elements including wood pergola at Terrace No change Chavez Atrium, including concrete columns, hyperbolic-paraboloid ceiling, and stairs
No change
Basement rehearsal halls No change North-facing offices with glass window walls and exposed vaulted hyperbolic-paraboloid ceilings
No change
King Student Union Concrete elements, including board formed concrete walls & columns, concrete masonry unit walls
Partially removed at south and west additions
Concrete columns and hyperbolic-paraboloid roof, terraces
No change
Overall footprint and massing Altered by south and west additions Glass and steel storefront windows at north, east and south walls
Unchanged
Glass and steel storefront windows at west wall Removed to accommodate west addition
Misc metal items including globe light fixtures and stair and balcony balustrades
Balustrades on west terrace and stair removed. Light fixtures may not meet current codes
Metal “trellis” at roof edge No change Seven sets of glazed aluminum doors w/ bear door pulls No change anticipated; potential code issue
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(Vernon DeMars, 1979) Stucco finish at 3rd and 4th levels No change Aluminum windows at 3rd & 4th levels No change Tilden Room interior including stained glass window, wood paneling, misc. art works
No change
Main lobby at 2nd level, including terrazzo grand stair, Lucite incandescent light fixture, and Stanford axe cabinet
No change
Pauley Ballroom No change 3rd floor lobby, including mahogany paneling, oak floors and Lightolier installed in 1976
No change
Stair between 1st and 2nd floor, north end of MLK No change
Stair between 1st and 2nd floor including scrap iron artwork
May be altered to accommodate student bike repair center; artwork to be relocated within Lower Sproul
Meeting rooms No change Heller Lounge, with scored concrete floor, wood clad walls & fireplace
Altered and expanded to accommodate campus living room and multicultural center
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