County’s strategic office purchase, pre-construction contract reduce long-term costs, address aging facilities

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today unanimously approved the $49.5 million purchase of an office building at 400 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa that will provide modern space for County services, strengthen emergency response capabilities and help reduce the cost and size of the proposed new County Government Center. In a separate vote, the Board also unanimously approved a contract for pre-construction services for the County Government Center.

Taken together, the acquisition and pre-construction contract are part of a broader strategy to modernize County facilities while reducing reliance on leased office space.

The County currently leases approximately 73,000 square feet of office space at 400 Aviation Blvd., which houses Sonoma County Public Infrastructure and Sonoma County Regional Parks. Purchasing the property will allow the County to convert a significant existing lease into a County-owned asset, expand into additional space as it becomes available and consolidate other County operations now located in other leased or aging facilities around the County.

County staff estimate that acquiring 400 Aviation Blvd. and completing tenant improvements would result in net savings of approximately $68.6-$73.6 million compared with continuing to lease space, constructing a standalone Emergency Operations Center and data infrastructure, constructing a larger County Government Center and making other necessary facility investments.

“This purchase is a strategic investment in the County’s long-term financial and operational stability and, most importantly, in our ability to serve the public,” said Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Rebecca Hermosillo. “As responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have an obligation to look for opportunities that provide long-term value. By purchasing an existing facility rather than continuing to lease space or taking on the significantly higher cost of a new larger construction project, we can reduce the footprint of the County campus while investing in a facility the public will own for decades to come. Just as importantly, this investment will allow us to establish a more resilient Emergency Operations Center, strengthening Sonoma County’s ability to respond when our residents and communities need us most.”

The $675,000 Construction Manager at Risk contract the Board approved with San Francisco-based McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., is for pre-construction services on the County Government Center, a planned multi-story office building to replace the current 70-year-old County campus. The purchase of 400 Aviation Blvd. will reduce the size of the proposed County Government Center by approximately 30,000 square feet, reducing estimated construction costs by approximately $35-40 million.

“Our goal is not simply to own more buildings; it is to reduce how much new space we ultimately need to build,” said Sonoma County Executive David Guhin. “When we can purchase a modern existing facility at a cost that makes sense, we can address multiple facility needs faster while reducing the amount taxpayers ultimately have to spend on new construction. This is about being strategic with the facilities we own, the space we lease and the investments we know we will need to make in the future.”

A major benefit of the acquisition is the opportunity to relocate the County’s Department of Emergency Management and Emergency Operations Center to the property. The existing Emergency Operations Center was constructed in the 1960s and lacks the structural resilience, building systems and reliability needed for modern disaster response. Built in 2016 under more stringent seismic standards, 400 Aviation Blvd. features modern building systems, enhanced life-safety features and an emergency generator. The property also has an on-site well, further strengthening its ability to remain operational during an emergency.

County staff estimates that adapting the building for a modern Emergency Operations Center could save more than $54 million compared with constructing a new standalone emergency operations facility. The new Emergency Operations Center could be operational at 400 Aviation Blvd. as early as 2028.

The property also includes modern data infrastructure that could become a hub for the County’s Information Systems Department. The County’s existing data infrastructure building was constructed in 1970 and has an estimated $20 million in improvements needed over the next 10 years. Using existing infrastructure at 400 Aviation Blvd. will provide a more cost-effective alternative while placing information technology staff closer to the growing number of County departments located in the Airport Boulevard area.

At full capacity, 400 Aviation Blvd. would accommodate over 400 County employees in addition to the Emergency Operations Center. County plans envision, in addition to Public Infrastructure and Regional Parks, moving Emergency Management, Information Services, Human Resources and other small departments currently in leased space into 400 Aviation. Moving departments from leased offices into County-owned facilities is expected to save the General Fund approximately $300,000 annually in leasing costs.

The purchase is part of a broader County facilities strategy that includes previously acquired buildings on Brickway Boulevard and the proposed new County Government Center. Together, the three locations are expected to provide modern County-owned facilities while reducing reliance on leased space and addressing a significant backlog of deferred maintenance at aging County facilities.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, County Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonomacounty.gov
(707) 565-3040