Pasadena-based AECOM Wins $1.4 million Contract to Design Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

The Thousand Oaks city council Jan. 8 awarded a $1.4 million contract to Pasadena-based engineering firm AECOM for the design of its Civic Arts Plaza Campus Master Plan.
The vote to approve the contract was 5 to 0. The Civic Arts Plaza Campus Master Plan will guide future construction at the grounds where the Thousand Oaks City Hall and two city-owned theaters are located.
The council also approved creation of a two-councilmember ad hoc committee that will guide the design process, according to the Thousand Oaks Acorn.
Thousand Oaks’ community development director Mark Towne told the city council why staff recommended AECOM over 14 other applicants: “The creativity and the chemistry between the team members we experienced in the interview was evident and a clear benefit of hiring AECOM versus other potential firms.”
In addition to City Hall, the campus includes the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre and the 394-seat Scherr Forum. The site draws roughly 200,000 visitors a year, the report said.
The contract provides $393,000 for background work, $529,700 toward the conceptual design, $179,700 to the approval process, and $169,300 for public engagement and outreach. It also includes $48,100 to cover reimbursable expenses such as travel, printing and reproduction costs, and another $100,000 for extra services the ad hoc committee may identify during the process, the report said.
AECOM, an acronym for Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations and Maintenance, is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2017, the firm reported $18.2 billion in revenue. It boasts some 87,000 employees, making it one of the largest engineering firms in the nation.
The Acorn report noted that, once the project is completed, Thousand Oaks will possess conceptual plans for grading, architecture, landscaping and interior layout with which it can go out to bid on construction.
Funds from a $6.1 million reserve for Civic Arts Plaza improvements will be tapped to pay AECOM, the report said.