Aging Petaluma Veterans Building To Get New Roof, Other Improvements

PETALUMA, CA —The Veterans Memorial Building in Petaluma will get a new roof, seismic upgrades and other improvements under a $1.9 million construction contract approved Tuesday by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

The 64-year-old building at 1094 Petaluma Blvd. South serves as a key community meeting space in Petaluma as well as an emergency evacuation center.

“I am thrilled that we are finally able to tackle a major maintenance project on this vital community asset,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, who represents Petaluma. “The veterans building serves as an important space for veterans, community events and also provides a lifeline for evacuees in times of crisis.”

The building has been owned or operated by several organizations, including the City of Petaluma and Sonoma County Regional Parks. In the mid-1990s, the county's General Services department took over building maintenance responsibilities for all veterans buildings in the county, and in 2012, the county also assumed responsibility for the buildings' operations.

The contract is with Adams Commercial General Contracting and includes contingencies up to 10 percent of the project cost for a total of $2.1 million. The Eureka-based company submitted the lowest of three bids opened on May 18. Adams bid $1.92 million, Martinez Construction Services bid $2.87 million, and Kirby Construction bid $4.44 million.

The 23,800-square-foot veterans' building was constructed in 1959 and its current roof is more than 25 years old. The roof replacement will feature a "cool roof" design, which includes special roofing materials that help reduce heat absorption during hot days and alleviate the heat load on the roof, according to Johannes Hoevertsz, director of public infrastructure for Sonoma County.

The facility continues to serve as a key hub for community events, arts programs and veterans service organization meetings and acts as an important emergency shelter and charging center during disasters.

"The roof and seismic upgrades must be performed simultaneously as many of the components of the seismic reinforcement are accessible only through the roof diaphragm," Hoevertsz wrote in a report for the board of supervisors. "The roof has exceeded its useful life as it is over 25 years old and multiple water leaks are present in the building. The project is needed to preserve the life of the property asset and seismically reinforce the building for resilience and safe refuge to the community in times of disaster."