Redondo Beach residents will get a new police headquarters and two rebuilt fire stations after the City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday, July 7, to hire Swinerton Builders and LPA Design Studios to design and construct all three facilities.
The projects are funded by Measure FP, a $93 million municipal bond voters approved in 2024. Design work is underway, with guaranteed maximum prices for each building due by the end of 2026.
"This is a big step for us," City Manager Mike Witzansky said at the July 7 meeting. "We don't have unlimited funds, as you've heard me say a couple times tonight."
The council approved two Phase One contracts: up to $1.6 million for Fire Station 1 and Fire Station 2, and up to $1.9 million for the police headquarters. These contracts cover design work and setting a guaranteed maximum price. They do not authorize construction.
Swinerton and LPA will tackle the fire stations first, followed closely by the police headquarters. Phase One design work is expected to wrap up by February 2027.
How the city chose
The city received six bids for the police station, seven for the fire stations, and three for all structures combined, according to council records. Staff scored written proposals, held interviews that included 20-minute real-time problem-solving tests, selected the top three bidders, and asked for best-and-final offers.
Assistant City Manager Luke Smude told the council the process focused on "best value, skills, expertise and experience."
Swinerton, a Southern California builder since 1888, has completed more than 30 projects with LPA in the progressive design-build format over 27 years. LPA architect Charles Williams pointed to a recent fire station project in Buena Park that came in on time and under budget.
What's next
Swinerton project executive Michele Prata showed preliminary illustrations of the new buildings at the July 7 meeting. Mayor Jim Light said official design debates will come later, once formal drawings are submitted.
Fire Division Chiefs Brian Regan and Jason May, along with Police Lieutenant Wayne Windman, have been leading biweekly meetings with department personnel to prepare for the projects internally.
Councilman Scott Behrendt made the motion to approve both contracts. Councilman Zein Obagi Jr. asked about change orders during the meeting; Smude said the progressive design-build format minimizes that risk.
All three buildings will be constructed at the sites of the existing structures. The next milestone: guaranteed maximum prices for the fire stations by the end of 2026, with construction across all three sites slated to begin in summer 2027.
