In an exclusive audio interview with LBREPORT.com (hear it on-demand below), Cameron Crockett, AIA, LEED, estimates the total cost of the seismic retrofit/adaptive reuse and code compliance work should come in at under $50 million. Asked if his firm could respond to a Request for Proposals to retrofit Long Beach City Hall as an adaptive reuse project and make the building current code compliant for under $50 million, Mr. Crockett said "yes."

To hear audio of Mr. Crockett's comments, click here.

Mr. Crockett says he tried to meet with all Councilmembers, managed to meet with six Council incumbents or their office representatives and in his audio remarks describes the meetings. He says he also met with city management (public works) officials in a meeting he described as unproductive.

As previously reported by LBREPORT.com, Long Beach officials have had seismic reports in their possession since roughly 2005/2007 indicating City Hall seismic issues, but didn't issue a Request for Proposals seeking bids/proposals from firms to do a City Hall retrofit.

Instead, in early 2013, city management offered a Power Point presentation to the Council that suggested retrofitting the building would be less desirable than tearing down City Hall (built less than 40 years ago) and building an entirely new Civic Center over a "megablock" area (including the area now occupied by the former courthouse). The area would effectively be leased [basically outsourced] to a private firm and the City would pay the private firm to build the new Civic Center and operate and maintain the facilities, with payments by the City to the private firm enabling the firm's profit, for at least 30 years.

City management has publicly acknowledged that its most recently received seismic report [the text of which it has refused to release] recommends a retrofit as an alternative to building a new City Hall building.

At its Council meeting tonight (Dec. 3), city management has agendized an item that seeks Council approval to enter into a contract with a renowned firm handling projects nationally and internationally (which had roles in the Long Beach courthouse and Gerald Desmond Bridge projects) to oversee preparation of a Request for Proposals to which three previously selected developer firms will tell the City how much they'd charge to build/operate a new Civic Center. Tonight's proposed contract (whose exact terms the City has not disclosed at this point) would (according to an agendizing memo summary) pay the consulting firm roughly $1 million (one year initial term) and allows the option of two annual extensions (potential total of $3.25 million.)

City management also says in tonight's agendizing memoi that outside legal counsel will be required for a cost of $750,000, an item to be separately brought to the City Council at a subsequent meeting.

Ultra-Unit Architectural Studio's website describes itself as "a boutique, leading edge Architectural - Design/Build firm...We don’t do many projects, we just do them very well which means listening to our clients, using advanced construction technologies and doing architecture in the manner that it was done historically - as a Master-Craftsman. This makes us "ultra" qualified because we not only Design extraordinary buildings but that we can also accurately assess construction related costs and implications.

[Firm website text] We are a small award winning and premier Architectural firm that constructs what we design because we have found its the only way to assure the quality we demand in projects.

We are hands on. We create solutions through innovative problem solving, integrated construction services and sometimes just thumping a nail into a piece of wood.

Ultra-Unit Architectural Studio is team comprised of the professionals in the office and extends to the engineers, consultants, contractors and subcontractors in the field. This team shares a vision for creating the extraordinary, efficiently. Team leader Cameron Crockett AIA, LEED is both a California licensed contractor (#959011) and licensed architect (#31503) with over 25 years experience in single family residential, multifamily residential, commercial and retail, historic rehabilitation, structural analysis, remodels and new construction.

Our office is in one of the old bakery warehouse buildings at 1327 Loma Avenue - near the corner of Redondo and Anaheim. We are as "local" as it gets - both my team and myself live right here in Long Beach.

The Ultra-Unit Architectural Studio's website describes Mr. Crockett as follows:

Cameron Crockett is the Principal of Ultra-Unit Architectural Studio, a ‘Design-Build’ architectural and contracting firm in Long Beach, CA. Cameron has had an active professional practice in Long Beach, CA for the past 6 years which focuses on the ‘design-build’ method of delivery; incorporating both construction and architectural services. Cameron has received a theoretical Merit Award from the Orange County chapter of the AIA, a Citation Award from the Los Angeles chapter of the AIA, and a Presidential Award from the Long Beach Chapter of the AIA.

Cameron was previously employed as a framer for 3 years by Mike Davis Construction and later by Killefer Flammang Architects as Job Captain for numerous SRO hotel conversion projects in downtown Los Angeles as well as YMCA Clark residence historic renovation. For 3 years Cameron was a Project Architect at Morphosis Architects, an internationally renown and award winning firm. He initiated project delivery methods at Morphosis in the early 90‘s and was integral in such projects as Diamond Ranch High School, Landa Residence, Prado Museum Competition - Madrid, Big Daddy Studio, Tours concert hall competition in France and others.

As a result of Cameron’s expertise, numerous architectural teams have sought his contribution to multifarious endeavors including LACMA competition with Daniel Libeskind, UCLA Broad Art Center, San Jose Civic Center with Richard Meier Partners, the Cathedral of our Lady of Angels with Leo Daly and Rafael Moneo, Ultra-Flight Theater with Disney, Benenson Residence for Erhlich Architects, Lux Drive-In Studio, Sinte Gleska school with Michael Rotundi, and numerous Cruise ship interiors with Hirsch Bedner and Associates. Cameron’s contributions in the entertainment industry include dozens of set designs for various make-up commercials, a Desperate House Wives trailer, various clothing ads and stage acts including Madonna, Shakira, Bill Viola, Backstreet Boys, and feature films such as ‘The End of the Spear’.

Recent publications include a features in Long Beach Magazine for his ‘Skeeter’ guest house that is a contemporary adaption of spanish styling, the book Brave New Houses (p. Rizzoli) for his design of the SCRV Residence as well as the Non-nuclear and Garnett residence in Global Architecture Magazine Project #52. Cameron has completed over a dozen residential projects in the Long Beach area, three of which have received awards for excellence.

Developing. LBREPORT.com will carry LIVE VIDEO of tonight's City Council meeting on our front page at www.LBREPORT.com starting at 5:00 p.m.