Politics & Government
City Breaks Ground on Hart Park House Renovation
Senior activities usually held at the location will me temporarily moved to the Community Recreation Center until the construction is completed.
City officials cut the ribbon and broke ground in front of Sierra Madre’s Hart Park House Thursday afternoon. The event marks the beginning of a long-awaited restoration and renovation project that was .
The groundbreaking ceremony, held in , included a traditional “gold shovel” presentation as well as light refreshments for those in attendance.
In June, the City Council awarded a contract for the long-awaited renovation to B-One Construction following a public bidding process. The move followed a long line of troubles acquiring necessary funding for the renovation, including the . At that time, Los Angeles County also refused to cover the remaining costs associated with the renovation.
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But earlier this year, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency came through with nearly $250,000 in funding, enough to allow the project to move forward.
The city's , and funds raised through volunteer efforts by semiors accounted for $30,000 of the $426,960 in total cost for the project.
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Among the five companies who submitted bids for the project, B-One Construction offered the second-lowest amount. While the contract would typically go to the lowest bidder, Inter-Plan West, who was the lowest bidder, was denied the contract due to clerical errors in its bid paperwork.
City staff further supported the recommendation to use B-One Construction by pointing out that the company “was the contractor for the City’s remodel of the Poolhouse several years ago, and provided acceptable work at the time,” according to .
The Hart Park House has served as Sierra Madre’s senior center for 20 years. During that time, it has undergone various remodeling projects that have caused it to lose many of the original features of the building, .
During construction, Sierra Madre seniors will have to vacate the Hart Park House. Thus, beginning Monday, July 18, senior programs and services, including the daily Senior Lunch Café, will be temporarily relocated to the Community Recreation Center at 611 E. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Sierra Madre public transportation services will be provided at no charge to seniors to assist them with accessing the new location. In addition to the usual routes of the town’s Gateway Shuttle there will also be a special “Lunch Express Shuttle.”